Starstone
by Kasey
Summary: Slightly AU. Follow Marron and the other young hunters in the years prior to the anime, and unseen conversations during the series. Gaterron because I like it, but don't let that stop you. Ending is nothing like the anime!
1. Chapter I

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter I

The End is Here! Thank you all for your reviews! I hope that those of you who have stuck with the story find the ending satisfying. I am not, at this time, looking into writing a sequel, but I do intend to continue writing in this fandom. Thanks again, and enjoy!

Author's Notes:

1) I would like to mention that, around Chapter III, you can assume that Carrot and Marron are about 14 and 13 years of age, respectively. Thank you, Kagero, for pointing out that I had not made it obvious!

2) I am having some formatting problems during the translation from Document Manager and editing, to what actually shows up. In a number of inquisitive exclaimations, usually denoted by ? and ! used in conjuction with each other, only the ! is showing up. So if you think it's supposed to have a ? well, you're probably right.

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"Come on, brother, get your head out of that book!" Carrot stuck his nose up over the edge of the bookbinding and crossed his eyes at his younger brother. "All work and no play makes Marron even duller than he usually is!"

Marron sighed and snapped his book shut, narrowly missing Carrot's nose. "Alright, brother. If you want me to. What are we doing, anyway?"

"Uhm..." Carrot sat back tailor-style and chewed his lip thoughtfully. Then he grinned. "I dunno! But anything's better than sitting inside reading books all day. Come _on_. We finished our required reading _hours_ ago! Let's go find Gateau and the girls and go camping or something. Maybe we can-"

"We can't do that!" Marron cut in, standing swiftly. He gently placed his book on a shelf. "Mother wants us to do our studies, brother. And she'd be very worried about us if we disappeared camping or running off on adventures like you and Gateau like to do."

"Awww..." Carrot looked up at his younger brother with large eyes. "Pleeeease? Come on, come on! We'll have fun, and..." he eyed the bookshelf, "...You could even bring a couple books. Please? Our next lesson's not for three days–"

"–And you would not have even finished this lesson by now if the girls hadn't locked us in here two days ago," Marron pointed out, brushing dust from his robes. "You just want me to tell you where they hid the key."

"Hmph." Carrot snorted and stood, his total height of four-foot-ten towering over his younger brother. "You sure are boring for a nine-year-old, you know that?" When Marron only sighed, Carrot grinned and winked at him. "But that's ok, because you're my brother and you're always going to be a boring stick-in-the-mud, right? I've got enough adventure in me for both of us, so why don't you pack up some books and grab that key, and let's go throw a can of harvest beetles through Tira's window?"

Marron smiled slightly. "Alright, brother. If you want me to."

-----

"Momma's not gonna be happy with us," Tira protested, shivering and scooting closer to her sister. "She's gonna be plenty mad."

"Ah, she'll be fine," Carrot assured her. He poked at their tiny campfire with a stick, stirring the embers. "We can't be that far off the road–I'm sure we'll find it in the morning!"

"Huh." Gateau dropped an armload of dry branches and twigs next to Carrot, sending a puff of dust and dry bark to cover the Glaice brothers and making Marron cough. "Er, sorry," the young blond apologized when Marron stood to shake out his robes. "You know, those really aren't practical to go camping in."

Marron settled himself back down next to Tira. "I guess I just wasn't expecting to fall off a cliffside." He winced and held his hands up to defend his face from a barrage of ashes and cinders as Carrot dumped fresh twigs on the fire and enthusiastically blew on the fire to make it grow. Tira and Chocolate squealed and ducked their faces in their cloaks. Growling, Gateau thwapped Carrot to make him stop, sending him face-first into the tiny fire.

"Au-waaaugh..." Carrot tried to push himself up, and yelped as his hands ground into the fresh embers. "Waaauu!" he howled. "Auh! You jerk!" he yelled at Gateau. "What'd you do that for? Oh my _god_ Gateau, what–"

"You were trying to set your brother and the girls on fire, you idiot," Gateau informed the soot-streaked boy. He pointed to where Marron, Tira, and Chocolate were trying to smother a few embers that had lit on their clothes, and thwapped Carrot again.

"Oh." Carrot rubbed his hand through his hair sheepishly. "Well... sorry, I guess."

"Sorry doesn't really cover it, Carrot," Chocolate sighed. "You got us lost after dragging us out when we should be home trying to get ahead in our assignments. Then you were fooling around and sent your own brother–"

"–Who you're supposed to be looking out for, by the way," Tira cut in.

Gateau nodded as Chocolate went on. "–Flying off a cliff into a forest. And if it wasn't for Gateau, he'd _still_ be stuck up in that tree–" Gateau held himself a bit straighter and smirked slightly as Carrot protested.

"Come on, I would've figured a way to–"

"–_And_" Chocolate cut in over Carrot's blathering, "Now you've put out the fire, and we're out of matches, and it's getting colder. Honestly, what are we supposed to do now?"

The group was quiet for a minute as they reflected the day's events. Marron absentmindedly rubbed his cheek where he had collided with a treebranch during his fall. Blinking thoughtfully, he stood and moved to the pile of dying embers that had been their fire. The Misu sisters watched as he carefully selected a slender but sturdy twig from the pile of wood Gateau had brought.

"Don't even think about trying that twirly-thing to get the fire started," Carrot advised. "I tried that at home, remember?"

"I remember," Marron replied. "I won't." He poked the twig into the embers, stirring them around, then kneeled down, setting the twig next to him. He started piling wood on top of the embers. "I just want to try something."

With most of the small twigs and branches covering the embers, Marron placed a larger, bark-covered chunk of wood on the very top of the pile. Picking up the twig next to him, he stood and started scraping the ash-covered end of the twig against the bark of the wood.

"Is that a fire rune?" Tira asked, pushing her glasses up on her nose and leaning forward.

"Stay back," Marron replied quickly, jumping back as he finished writing. The charcoal rune burst into flame just as he got out of the way, igniting the thin, dry branches quickly, and spreading to the larger log.

"I... did it," the younger Glaice brother mused, staring at the fire. He smiled and looked at the others. "It worked!"

His brother, Gateau, and the Misu sisters were staring at him. "Did I... uh... know you could do that?" Carrot asked.

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	2. Chapter II

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter II

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"You're boring, you know that?" Carrot did an ungainly headstand as he watched his brother flip through a book so big that it nearly covered his large desk. When Marron did not reply, he attemped to push himself up and walk around on his hands.

"You've had your nose stuck in that book for _days_" the elder Glaice brother complained. "Haven't you found what you're looking for yet?"

Marron looked up as Carrot overbalanced and tumbled over, narrowly missing a stack of books and inkpots. "No, but I think I'm getting closer. It's actually easier to translate than I thought."

Carrot curled over and balanced on his head again. "Yeah? So when do you think you'll find what you're looking for? And what are you looking for, anyhow?"

Marron sat back and rubbed the back of his hand against his eyes. "I'm researching magical defense strategies that were used back during the Sorcerer's Wars. If we're going to hunt sorcerers when we've finished our training, we should know as much as we can about how they defend themselves, and how we can defend ourselves against them."

"_You've_ got problems," Carrot stuck his tongue out at his brother. "If I so much as get a whiff of magic... boom! Biiiiiig scary monster, people screaming... crashing buildings... and Chocolate and Tira... Man, ever since they hit puberty..." Face bleak, he curled out of his handstand and sat on the floor shuddering. "But anyhow, I'm probably not really gonna be any good at hunting sorcerers."

Placing a silk ribbon on the page he was reading, Marron got up and walked to his brother, offering a hand to help him up. "You'll be good," he assured him. "You're really good with people. Better than Gateau, even, and the girls. You just don't apply yourself."

"'You just don't apply yourself'" Carrot mimicked. "You sound like Big Momma!"

"But it's true," Marron insisted. "If you'd only..." He sighed. "Well, anyway... What did you want to do? You want to go out, don't you? That's why you came to the library."

"You know me too well, little bro!" Carrot grinned and clapped Marron on the back. "It's getting late. Why don't we head downtown and get something for dinner?"

Marron smiled at his brother. "It's Sunday evening. All the school girls are coming back from the lodge on the coast right now, aren't they?"

"Heheh" Carrot chuckled. "Can't get anything past you. Come on, or we'll miss them!"

-----

Marron shuffled along behind his brother, holding up his overlong robes to keep himself from tripping as he tried to keep up with his brother's long stride.

"See that one?" Carrot asked, pointing at a young blond girl who was walking along the other side of the street. He winked at Marron. "I bet she's just sixteen, and looking for a man to love her and keep her happy her whole life."

"I'm really not interested," the Marron replied. Carrot's hand's twitched dreamily as the older brother bent his neck to watch a gaggle of giggling, beachwear-clad girls cross the street and walk into a restaurant. Marron watched them go, one hand clenched on his brother's shirt to keep from losing him in the crowd. "I guess I'm not old enough to like girls yet."

"Bah, I liked girls by the time I was twelve," Carrot said. "It's because you never take your head out of those silly books of yours. I guarantee you–A weekend at the beach with those bikini-clad cuties and you'll want to have your hands all over them, and–" he cackled, a faraway look in his eye, "–once you're older, assuming you inherit the same attractive, manly looks as your older brother, the girlies will come runnin' for the luvin'!"

Marron sighed and continued walking, his grip dragging on his brother's shirt and forcing Carrot to snap out of his daydream to follow him. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a flash of blond hair on a tall build, and glanced down a street.

It was their friend Gateau, leaning against a wall. He was holding a tall, curvy brunette in his arms, very close to his body. As Marron slowed to watch, his friend pulled the brunette closer and leaned towards her face.

"Come on, come on," Carrot started walking forward again, and Marron was pulled forward unexpectedly. Stumbling to keep from falling, the younger Glaice brother shook his head. Had Gateau just kissed that girl?

"Now that's just too bad."

Marron looked up to see what his brother was talking about. He followed the line of his brother's sight to see a young couple sitting next to a fountain, running their hands through the water. "What's bad, brother?"

"That absolutely _scrumptious_ redhead has no idea whatsoever that she could be having the night of her life right now if she had decided to date _me_ and so she's stuck with that poor slob next to her. It's just too bad. Maybe I'll ask her again tomorrow, and she'll agree this time."

The redhead was beautiful and, if Marron could use his brother's comments to judge, quite sexy. She was probably in her late teens. The man next to her was taller even than Gateau, with long, curly blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. "You asked her to date you?" he asked, after a moment's thought. "When?"

Carrot was already ogling another girl. "This morning just before lunch. But that's ancient history. I'm sure there's another honey-bunny around here that would love to take advantage of–hm, take advantage... that sounds good..."

Marron watched as the blond man said something to the redhead, who responded by laughing. The blond, in turn, smiled at his girlfriend, his grin wide and almost, to Marron, infectious. The redheaded girl cuddled into her boyfriend's arms while Marron watched. "I think she's happy with the guy she's with, brother." Flexing his empty fingers, he looked around. "Brother?"

"Oh, won't you please go on a date with me? I promise I'll show you the best time of your life!" Carrot was across the street, kneeling in front of a trio of girls, who had backed up against a wall to avoid him. Marron carefully crossed after him, grabbing onto his shirt again. "I'll take you out, I'll romance you, I'll take you to dinner or to tea or to lunch–heck, I'll take you to breakfast if that's what turns you on–"

"Get away from us, you creep," one of the girls said.

Another piped in, "If you're that desperate, get a whore. God, what kind of wierdo tries to pick up girls with his little sister tagging along?"

"Yeah, that's just sick," the third one agreed as they walked away, leaving Carrot kneeling in the street with Marron's hand on his shoulder.

"...Little sister?" Marron whispered.

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	3. Chapter III

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter III

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Chocolate and Tira played Cat's Cradle with a long loop of silk cord. Not liking the contents of the heavy tome he was carrying, Marron watched them pass the cord back and forth, laughing softly as Tira repeatedly missed the tangled loops.

The girls sat on a bench next to the town fountain, while Marron preferred the cool stone of the fountain rim. Gateau was quarantined with a fever, and Carrot was confined to the house for having neglected two weeks' studies.

"I really wish he'd just do as Big Momma says." Chocolate created a ladder using the silken cord, her fingers nimble. "We'd have a lot more fun if he was here."

"But he's such a slacker," Tira said, trying to transfer the cord-ladder from Chocolate's fingers to her own. "He's not doing us any good goofing off all the time like he does."

"That's why I said I wish he'd do what Big Momma tells him, Tira."

Marron tried to turn his attention back to his book, and frowned. With a sigh, he shut the cracked leather tome and stood. Tira looked up at him, dropping the Cat's Cradle. "What's up, Marron?"

"Yeah," Chocolate said, standing. "You're not nose-deep in your book. What's wrong? It's not because Carrot's being stupid again, is it?"

Marron smiled. "Er, no... I'm just having some troubles with some of the magic I'm researching. It's not really a problem. I just think it might be too advanced for me."

The girls laughed. "Too advanced for you?" Chocolate asked. "That's like saying Gateau can't break a toothpick."

"Yeah, you're the best there is!" Tira agreed. "With you on our team, we're going to be unstoppable sorcerer hunters!"

"I'm really not that great," Marron protested, although he laughed with them. "I really do have a lot more to learn."

"But you will learn, and you'll be the best mage in the world–no sorcerer will be able to stand up against you!" Tira clapped her hands together and Chocolate nodded. Marron could not help but join in their enthusiasm. Facing each other, the three friends did not notice the duo that approached them.

"Why so happy, ladies?"

Marron and the Misu sisters looked up to see two tall young men eying them. One, a close-shaven blond, winked roguishly at Chocolate. Tira eyed them both warily. "Can we... help you?" she asked.

The other young man had brown hair that hung in heavy curls to his shoulders. His blue eyes on Marron were more than warm. "We just wanted to know what had three beautiful visions such as yourselves laughing so gayly this afternoon," he said, his voice deep and rich as he stepped closer to Marron, "...Even when the sky is gray and the air grown chill as winter approaches us."

Marron tried to step back from the oncoming man. "That's, er... very poetic," he offered, stopping as his foot hit the edge of the fountain.

"Get away from us," Chocolate hissed at the close-shaven blond. She wielded the Cat's Cradle cord threateningly as she glared at him. "What do you want?"

The blue-eyed man reached a hand out to rest on Marron's shoulder, who turned quite pale and stared at him in silence. He turned his blue eyes to Tira. "We're just interested in the company of a few lovely ladies, and the musical laughter of you three nymphs called us over," he purred. Tira backed up until she was shoulder-to-shoulder with her sister.

Chocolate snorted. "I don't think you'll find us very nymph-like, mister, and I don't think _he_ would appreciate your offer," she said, nodding towards Marron.

With one eyebrow raised, the blue-eyed man looked over Marron again. "A... boy?" He tilted his head, then winked at his friend. "All the better. He's lovely, Puyo, isn't he?" He turned back to Marron and stepped even closer to the shell-shocked boy. "I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful young man," he told him. "What a lovely piece of work you are."

The color came back back to Marron's face in a flood of red. He used the bulk of his magic tome to push the blue-eyed man away from him as he ran quickly to the girls. The close-shaven blond, Puyo, stepped out of the way to avoid catching the brunt of the book as Marron raced forward.

"Er, nice meeting you," Marron mumbled, grabbing Tira's arm with his free hand as he passed by. "Come on, Tira, Chocolate... I think we should be getting home."

"Yeah, definitely," Chocolate pushed Tira ahead of her as she ran to keep up with Marron. The young mage looked back over his shoulder, to see the brown-haired, blue-eyed man watching them go.

-----

Marron fidgeted.

That was how Carrot knew something was wrong.

As his younger brother tapped his foot and chewed on the end of his pen, Carrot gave up with a sigh. "What's wrong, bro?" he asked. From where he sat on the floor, he pushed his books aside and lay on his back. "I can't concentrate on these stupid books with you fidgeting like that all the time."

"...Sorry," Marron offered. He stopped tapping his foot. "I just can't concentrate."

There was silence for a few moments, and Carrot yawned, considering the possibilities of sneaking a nap while Marron was distracted. Then the tapping started again. "Dude! You've been doing this for two _weeks_ now! What the heck is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," the younger Glaice brother answered immediately. "I just... need some air, I guess. I really just can't concentrate." He stood up, consciously brushing nonexistant dust from his robes. "I'll just be in the garden."

Carrot watched him walk out through the garden. He looked at the piles of books near his brother's desk, then at his own assigned text. He stuck his tongue out at his book and stood with a sigh to follow his brother.

He found Marron leaning against a tree, looking out into the snow-covered forest. "Come on, bro," he said wearily. "You know I'll keep bugging you until you tell me what's _really_ bugging you. Make it quick so we can go inside. It's cold out here."

"You don't have to ask, you know," his younger brother replied, not looking at him. "I know you don't like dealing with problems."

"Pshh." Carrot waved his hand as if shooing away his comment. "I'm your brother and I'm here for you and that's what matters."

"That's... good to know."

"Aw... just talk to me, bro, okay?" Carrot rubbed his hands on his arms. "At least come inside."

With a sigh, Marron walked back inside, Carrot close behind him, shutting the door as soon as they were in the house.

"Whew," Carrot said, flexing his cold hands. "I don't understand how you can stand it, unless you're wearing long-johns under that dress of yours." He laughed. "Come on, just tell me what's bothering you. Is it a..." he paused for dramatic effect, "...Girl?" He waggled his eyebrows.

Marron blushed. "N-no."

Carrot shrugged. "So what else could be so important that you're all depressed about it, huh? If you're not going to get that worked up over a girl, what else are you going to get worked up over? Come on, bro, come on, just tell me."

"I..."

The two brothers stood in silence for a moment. Marron looked at the floor, while Carrot watched his brother, waiting for him to go on.

"I... think something is wrong with me, brother."

"So do I," Carrot laughed. "You'd rather sit around all day with your nose in a book than do anything else! But seriously, keep going. That's a start. What d'you think's wrong with you?"

Marron swallowed, his eyes tracing the shadows on the floor. "You... really mean it?"

"...What?"

"That... we're brothers, and that's all that matters, right?"

"Dude, if you've got the hots for Chocolate or Tira, it's _not_ a problem, honestly."

"I don't like girls, brother."

"Yeah, I don't like them either. I mean, I like them, but not the way Chocolate thinks. They're more like sisters, if you know what I mean. I'd rather have some sweet young honey who thinks of me as the handsome stranger that just rode into tow–"

"I don't like girls at _all_, brother."

Carrot blinked at his younger brother. "...At all? ...Chocolate and Tira...?"

Marron swallowed hard, blinking his eyes fast, as if holding back tears. "They're good friends, brother, but... I don't like girls. You... you and Gateau like them... You find them attractive, but I..." His voice trailed off.

"...Don't." Carrot finished for him. Marron shook his head, and Carrot thought for a moment. "...Guys?" he asked.

His younger brother nearly choked. "I... didn't..." He sat down on the floor and buried his face in his hands. "I didn't realize it. I always had my nose in a book l-like you always say I do. I didn't... I thought I was just too young for girls..."

Carrot kneeled next to his brother and clapped his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, bro... it's okay." When Marron did not respond, he ruffled his brother's hair. "Come on, it's not that bad. Heck, half the time I think I've got a little sister instead of a little brother anyhow."

Marron glared up at him, his eyes red. "I'm _not_ a girl, brother, in case you haven't noticed."

"I know, I know." Carrot held up his hands in defense. "I'm just saying it's not that bad, okay? So you like guys? So what? I think it's a little weird, I mean... what can you see in a guy when you could look at some curvy girl and get all... er, well... I guess you don't, huh?"

Marron shook his head. "It was... it was a man in the park... a few months ago." He sniffed and rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his robe. "He thought I was a girl–I was with Chocolate and Tira at the time. It was when Gateau was sick." He stared at the wall as if it were the man from the park. "It was... the way he looked at me, and the way he talked..."

"No offense, little bro," Carrot cut in, looking slightly green, "But spare me the details. So a guy hit on you and you got hot under the collar. At least now you know. Just don't dress any girlier than you already do, okay? I don't think I could deal with it."

Marron blinked, looking up at his brother. "You're... you're really okay with it?"

Carrot laughed and offered his brother a hand up. "Sure! We're brothers, right?"

"There is... one thing," Marron mumbled. He looked away again, frowning.

"What's up?"

"Could you... could you not mention this to Gateau and the girls? They might not... be okay with it."

Carrot considered his brother. "Well, sure... if that's what you want. I think you've got them wrong, but if you don't want me to, I won't tell them."

Marron turned and finally smiled at his brother. "Thanks. Thank you, brother."

"No problem!" Carrot grinned. "Now go back to studying. You're starting to weird me out."

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	4. Chapter IV

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter IV

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His pace was leisurely as he passed through town on his errands. Bags of parchment, inks and new pens balanced on one side with sacks of bread, vegetables, and a cold-packed roast on the other.

Looking for something, but usure of what, Marron examined each store window carefully. His mind wandered over hundreds of topics, most specifically their communications with the goddess who requested that he and his friends call her "Big Momma."

"_Each of you has completed the studies I requested of you," she said. With a kindly eye to Marron, she added, "And some of you have gone far beyond what I asked. I thank you for your dedication. I'm glad to say that I believe the five of you are ready to begin your tasks as sorcerer hunters."_

"_Oh, wow!" Carrot jumped up, spreading his arms wide. "When do we start, Big Momma?"_

_She laughed musically. "You will begin your travels in one month's time. Over the next three weeks, your instructors will help you gather what supplies you will need, help pack your bags, and teach you what they know of travelling. You will be given the fourth week to yourself, to play and relax, and to consider."_

"_Consider what, Big Momma?" Gateau asked, his hands on his waist._

_Big Momma smiled at him. "I will grant each of you a single boon–"_

_Carrot leaned over and whispered in Marron's ear, "Pst, what's a boon?"_

"–_A gift," the goddess continued, "Of your request. I ask you to consider carefully what I might be able to give to you that you will find most useful in your journeys ahead. I will ask you again in one month."_

Marron sighed. Two and a half weeks of painful lessons in packing lightly later, and there was still nothing he could think of that would help him. He knew that he could not ask Mother to make him stronger or taller. His agility was beyond perfection, his skills with magic acutely accurate. The one thing he truly wished he could ask for was far beyond even Mother's immense powers.

A sudden, early spring shower prompted the young mage off the street and beneath an awning. Peering into the window, he realized that the shop was a jeweler's. Strands of silver and gold chains, rings and amulets lay displayed around precious stones of all colors and sizes, some nearly as large as Marron's fist. They were all well-shielded behind many panes of glass. A well-lit star-sapphire caught his eye, and he bent forward to take a closer look, an odd idea forming in his head.

"The stars in the heavens are reflected in the star of that sapphire," a deep voice lilted behind him, causing him to jump backwards. "...But neither precious stones nor the heavens themselves can beg to compare to the clear beauty of the star that stands before me, walking the earth like god, condescending his presense to awe us of the lesser mortalities."

Spinning around, Marron was confronted by the warm, blue eyes that haunted him so regularly. Unsure of what to say or do, he started to back away, thinking it would be best to just move along quickly.

"Oh, don't go, I beg you," the man said, grinning widely. Marron blushed and stared at him. "I never got to introduce myself before–I am Vareg," he bowed, "And I would be honored to make your acquaintance." He offered Marron his hand.

Marron stared at Vareg's hand. He wanted desperately to take it, and before he could allow himself to think things through, he set down his bags of parchment and inks, and shook Vareg's hand. "I... am Marron," he said. He stared intently at Vareg's shoes, too shy to look into those blue eyes.

Vareg's hand was warm, firm but gentle. Once he held Marron's hand in his, he did not let go. With another small bow to the young mage, Vareg picked up Marron's bags in his free hand, and led him slowly down the street. "I do believe the rain has gone," he said, his eyes focused on Marron's blushing face.

Using the opportunity to look anywhere but at the man who held his hand, Marron glanced up at the brightening sky. "I, er... yes, it is." He blushed more deeply at his own stumbling words.

"I wondered where you got off to, after last fall," Vareg said. He looked up at the sky, giving Marron a moment's opportunity to glance at the young man's face. His curly hair was long enough that it was pulled back into a thick ponytail, although a few curls had pulled free to frame his aristocratically-boned face.

Marron gulped and looked away. It was true, what he had told his brother. He was sure, now, what the feelings he had now meant, as he considered the man next to him. "...Why?"

He glanced back up at Vareg, who caught his eye and winked at him. "When an angel falls to earth, Marron–" Marron bit his lip at the way Vareg rolled his name off his tongue. "–The mortals must rush to worship him."

The young mage tried to conjure a vision of his friend Dota in his head. "Have you ever met an angel?" he asked quietly.

"Only since you graced me with your name," was the smooth reply.

As they walked, Marron let himself relax. Vareg circled them through downtown, his pace as slow as Marron's stuttered responses to his questions. When they passed by the jeweler's store for the second time, he suddenly came back to himself, pulling his hand free.

"I... really need to be getting home," he said. He looked around for the sun, finding it half-above the horizon. He glanced sheepishly at the sacks of food his carried, thankful for the cold-pack around the roast. "I... they'll be needing this food at home," he explained, looking up into Vareg's face intentionally for the first time.

Vareg smiled at him. Marron thought he was going to melt. "Perhaps you'll grant this lowly mortal a few, golden minutes of your day tomorrow?" he asked. He took Marron's hand again, bent down, and kissed it.

When the young mage's mind began working again, he found himself standing alone on the street, holding his sacks of food and his bags of parchment, staring at the darkening sky.

-----

The following day was as bright as Marron was giddy.

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Unsure of when Vareg had hoped to meet, Marron had brought a thick book with him when he left the house at noon. Unsure of _where_ Vareg had hoped to meet, he wandered around downtown for a while, until he regretted bringing such a weighty tome with him. He sat on a bench near the downtown fountain where he had first met Vareg.

He did not wait long, once he sat down. Perhaps ten minutes of unproductive reading later, the young mage looked up apprehensively to see Vareg approaching him, a single pink rose in one hand. Guessing who the rose was for, Marron promptly blushed, then tried to compose himself.

Vareg presented the rose with a flourish. "If godly perfection could be transformed into flora," he said, blue eyes bright as they looked into Marron's, "The result would be a budding red rose. But since mankind has not yet discovered the rose that so perfectly reflects your beauty, I hope that you will accept this pale comparison, and allow me to continue searching for blossoms that more accurately represent your corporeal form."

Slightly more prepared to accept Vareg's poetic advances, Marron smiled shyly at him. "I am not sure the gods themselves could defend against your silver tongue," he said softly, attempting to hold the other man's eyes without looking away. "And despite your gilded metaphores, I am no less mortal than anyone else." He used every ounce of self-control he had to keep himself from blushing.

The tall young man seemed slightly surprised, although pleased, by Marron's response. "And no one, mortal or god, could pray to maintain themselves from the silken sound of your voice. Marron," he purred in his deep voice, holding out his hand, "Will you join me for a late luncheon?"

Eyes and smile bright, Marron accepted Vareg's hand and stood. "I would love to," he agreed.

-----

-----


	5. Chapter V

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter V

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-----

Marron nearly danced as Vareg led him through the park. Giddy and apprehensive, his heart beating fast and a permanent flush on his cheeks, he walked with one arm around Vareg's, the other man's hand on his. They had talked all through their luncheon, and Marron was quite impressed that Vareg had never once repeated himself during the many times he had praised Marron's beauty.

Now the sun was setting, still performing a premature display of night shadows in the early spring evening.

"I do believe that this is about the time we parted ways last night," Vareg commented. As an afterthought he added, "Do you need to return home so soon tonight?"

"Oh, no... not really," Marron replied, smiling and looking at the park trees. "I really can come and go as I please for the most part."

"That's good," Vareg murmured.

Marron looked up at him. "Why is that?"

Vareg looked down at him, his blue eyes flashing playfully. "I simply want to spend a bit more time with you." He slipped his arm around Marron's waist and pulled the younger man closer as they continued walking.

A small chime began to make itself heard in Marron's ears. He pulled slightly at Vareg's hand. "It's not to say that I shouldn't be started getting back," he ammended himself. He looked around at the darkening park. They were on the paths, now, away from the public.

Vareg's hand was not easily moved. "You're not uncomfortable being alone with me, Marron?" he asked. "Are you?" His voice was deep and seductive, making Marron chew on his lip slightly.

"No, no..." the young mage said. "I just think that it is getting a little late, and I'm sure my older brother might be getting worried about me. I didn't tell him–" he stopped himself quickly, and tried to stop walking.

"...Where you were going?" Vareg asked with a low laugh. "I'm sure he must be wretched with worry. He has to be at least a bit concerned, after all..." He stopped and faced Marron, pulling the now-reluctant young mage into his arms, "...He must realize how easy it would be for someone to want to run off with his beautiful younger brother. I am glad," he went on, as Marron started to try to pull away, "That you aren't uncomfortable being alone with me. I am _quite_ comfortable being alone with you, after all."

Marron pushed against Vareg's chest, knowing that the other man was significantly stronger than him. "T-this is not funny, Vareg," he whispered. "Let me go."

Vareg laughed again, pulling Marron with him as he stepped off the path into the trees. "I wasn't hoping it would be funny," he purred in Marron's ear. "But it is, as I hoped, _very_ enticing."

Shocked and afraid, Marron struggled uselessly as Vareg pinned him against a tree. "Please stop," he begged. "Why... why would you do this?"

The weight of Vareg's body now held Marron's slender frame firmly against the tree. The young mage's hands were not strong enough to stop Vareg's as he began pulling up his white robes.

"St-stop," Marron repeated. "Vareg–stop, please!" He struggled, and Vareg chuckled again.

"You're far too pretty to let go, after I worked so hard to get you here," the taller man whispered in Marron's ear. Marron shook his head and tried to kick him.

"Get off of me!"

"Not a chance, gorgeous. You just keep struggling like that."

"Get off of him, asshole!"

A sudden, sharp cracking noise was all the warning Vareg had before a heavy branch and a body forcibly separated him from his quarry. Before he could react, hands clenched together like a club swung at him, clocking him neatly in the jaw. Surprised blue eyes rolled up, and Vareg dropped to the ground.

Marron scrambled away from the tree. "Brother?"

"Ah-HAHA!" Carrot laughed. He stepped on Vareg's chest. "That'll teach you to mess with _my_ little brother. No one messes with a Glaice, y'got that?" he demanded of the unconscious Vareg. "Nobody!"

Marron carefully straightened his robes. "Brother... what...? What are you doing here?"

Carrot laughed. He kicked Vareg one more time, then stepped over him and took his brother's hand, leading him back onto the park path. "I followed you, of course!" he explained. "You were acting so weird... I knew something had to be up." His goofy grin made Marron laugh a little, although the young mage was reluctant to look at his elder brother.

"I... I'm sorry I wasn't more careful," Marron offered. "It was stupid of me... I was careless."

"Bah," came the offhand reply. "You're just a kid. I gotta admire that guy's style–he sure sweet-talked you good. You had no idea, so don't worry about it. Come on." He pulled his brother along the path, towards home. "Marron?"

"I'm such an idiot, brother," Marron whispered, looking at his hands, as if realizing he had them. "I... I could have used my magic at any time. I never even thought about it." He looked at Carrot. "How can I hunt sorcerers if I can't... if I don't think quick enough?"

Carrot thought for a moment. Then he shrugged. "You'll just get used to it, I guess," he said. "I didn't know I could knock a guy out like that, but hey, it worked, right?"

That made Marron smile. "Yes. Uhm... thanks."

"No problem, bro."

-----

On arriving home, Carrot and the still-unnerved Marron were surprised to discover Gateau asleep on the doorstep. Carrot nudged him awake. "Dude, what'cha doing here so late?"

Their large friend came awake quickly. "You're back! I've been waiting for you since–" he yawned, "–just before sundown." He stood up. Marron sighed as Gateau towered over him and his brother, knowing that he would never grow nearly as tall. Gateau looked down at him and his uncharacteristically dirty robes. "You okay, Marron?" he asked. "You look a little... ruffled."

"It's nothing," Carrot said. "We were just out at the park. But why are you here?" He unlocked the door to let them inside.

"Er, yeah," Gateau slapped his fist into his palm, as if remembering why he was there. "I'm leaving! I won't be going with you guys next week."

"What!" the Glaice brothers chorused, staring at him. "W-why?" Marron asked.

Gateau shrugged. "Big Momma said that there was an opening in another team that needs to be filled immediately. She said she didn't want to split up you two, or Chocolate and Tira. So that left me."

"That... that's awful," Marron said quietly. He stared at the floor. Why must his day get any worse?

"It's not so bad," Gateau replied. He seemed excited with his fortune. "I mean, I'll get to work with some sorcerer hunters who've had years on the job... It just means that I'll be that much better when I come back to you guys. Big Momma already said that she wants it to be a temporary assignment."

Marron bit his lip. The day's events were crashing on him, and he did not want to humiliate himself further in front of his brother–or in front of a good friend like Gateau for that matter–by doing something stupid like crying. Gateau saw him look at the floor, and leaned over to put an arm around him.

"I'll be back," the tall blond said. "I promise, and Big Momma promises, too." He gave Marron a bear hug that lifted the young mage off his feet. "Just make sure you all stay safe while I'm not here to watch out for you."

"We will," Carrot grinned. "I'll keep an eye on them!"

Gateau winced as he set Marron back down. "I was afraid you'd say something like that. Listen, Marron–you watch out for yourself and the girls, and make sure your brother doesn't lead you all into the Pit of Doom or anything like that."

Marron nodded as Gateau walked over to shake Carrot's hand.

"See you later, pal," Carrot said. "Take care of yourself, and send any extra cute girls you pick up my way!"

"Chocolate would kill me," Gateau laughed. "I already said good-bye to the girls, so..." He looked up at the ceiling, as if trying to see the sky, then back at the brothers. "Take care, Carrot. Be safe, Marron."

As the Glaice brothers waved, orange light consumed their friend, and he vanished. Not a second later, Marron ran to his room and slammed his door, leaving his brother standing in the dark.

-----

-----


	6. Chapter VI

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter VI

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-----

"Hi there!"

"Hey, hey! Dota!" Carrot greeted their pretty friend warmly. She giggled and moved aside, letting the image of Big Momma appear before the quartet of sorcerer hunters.

"Greetings, my new sorcerer hunters," Big Momma said, granting a smile to each of them.

"Hello, Big Momma," they chorused.

"It has been one month since I spoke to you last," she said. "Have you each decided on the boon you wish of me before you begin your journeys?"

"I want a sword that will never break!" Carrot answered immediately. "I promise I'll take it everywhere with me, so I'll never be caught with my pants down... unless it's by a pretty girl," he added, with a lusty wink to Dota, who giggled.

Big Momma smiled. "I hope it serves you well, Carrot."

Chocolate and Tira stepped forward. "We know what we want," Tira said.

"What is it, Tira?"

With a last questioning look at each other, the sisters nodded their heads and faced the goddess. "We want disguises!" Chocolate announced. "We want to be able to change into battle-gear in a split second, so we're never caught off-guard!"

"It will be so," Big Momma said, favoring each of the sisters with a smile. "And you, Marron?"

Marron paused. "...May I speak to you in private, Mother?" he asked finally.

The Misu sisters looked at each other, then at Marron, and shrugged. Carrot seemed oblivious to the oddity of his brother's request. Again, Big Momma smiled. "You three are dismissed," she told Carrot and the Misu sisters. "Speak to me, Marron," she said, as the others disappeared in orbs of orange light.

-----

"Are you sure they'll be okay, Momma?" Dota asked. Her expression was concerned as she watched the quartet of young sorcerer hunters take their first steps into the world on their own.

"They have strong hearts, those children," came the goddess's reply. "I have faith in them."

Dota shrugged, unsure. "Does Carrot even know how to use a sword?"

Big Momma laughed musically. "I believe the better question would be whether he knows _when_ to use a sword."

"Maybe," Dota giggled. "And what about Marron? Don't you think his request was a little–"

"Odd?" Big Momma finished. "Perhaps. But he is a bright boy, for all of his fourteen years. I think in most cases, it is his judgement that I would trust above all the others. He is truly a critical part of that team. I am sure he has his reasons for his request."

Dota went to sit at the goddess's feet. "What about Gateau?" she asked. "They're not very happy about him not being on their team anymore."

"No," the goddess sighed. "And I cannot blame them. But he was the oldest and, next to Marron, the most mature. Yet it would be disastrous to separate the brothers or the sisters. I will transfer him back to them as soon as I can. But for the moment, I need him where he is."

"Yeah," Dota agreed. She sighed. "They're going to have a rough life, Momma."

"I know, Dota," Big Momma agreed, looking down at her small companion. "But they are young and strong. Despite their past, I know they will prove themselves in the days to come."

-----

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	7. Chapter VII

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter VII

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-----

"Bye-bye!" Dota waved to the quartet of tired sorcerer hunters and disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

"Banatown, huh?" Chocolate sighed. "What on Earth can we find in _Banatown_? I just want a place to sleep right now."

"You said it," Tira agreed.

Carrot was already setting off with a brisk pace. "It's obvious. There's a beautiful maiden in distress there, and Big Momma's sending us there so that we can save her. Then she'll have to thank us, of course, and she'll want to thank me _especially_ for being her big, strong hero..."

Marron and Tira fell in step behind Carrot with a sigh. Chocolate followed soon after, her eye twitching as Carrot continued blithering about his fantasy.

-----

"You just stay here," Marron told his teammates firmly at the inn's breakfast table two mornings later. "I'll go purchase what we need to restock our supplies. You should just rest–you've earned it." He judged from the Misu sisters' blank expressions and Carrot's snoring, that his offer would not be met with any arguement or opposition.

The town of Banatown was not a metropolis, although it was significantly larger than most of the villages and towns his team had passed through over the last two years. Following the innkeeper's directions, Marron found the marketplace easily, and began searching for the necessary provisions.

The morning was bright, warm and sunny. It was a welcome relief from the past few months of travel in the rainy southern reaches of the continent. The young mage–now a man, by his own accounts–flipped his long hair behind him as he enjoyed the fresh morning air and light. He moved slowly through the marketplace, examining the wares at nearly every table he passed.

A couple of girls giggled nearby. Marron turned to see a young pair of platinum blonds–sisters, unless he missed his guess–admiring him. He favored them with an amicable smile, and continued down the rows of tables.

"He's so pretty!" the young mage heard one of them say.

"Yeah," the other giggled. "He's almost better than that gorgeous hunk we saw earlier!"

Marron raised an eyebrow, glancing surrepticiously back at the pair of blonds as he turned to examine a set of boots at a cobbler's booth. If there was a "gorgeous hunk," in the market, he thought, he just might be interested in taking a look for himself.

"Ooh, I wonder if he's still over by the forges," the first sister sighed. "Come on! Let's go see!" With another volley of high-pitched giggling, the two hurried into the market crowds.

Marron looked above the crowd in the direction the two blond girls had gone. He saw a few billows of dark smoke near some of the larger booths. With a small smile on his face, he set out through the crowds.

Getting to the forges was harder than he expected. As he passed booths that sold the supplies he needed to buy for his teammates, he made himself stop and purchase the necessary items. The crowds were thick, and many of the people were not willing to let him move past them. His increasingly heavy burden of supplies was no help, either.

While wondering if the "gorgeous hunk" who only _might_ still be near the forges was really worth the hassle of trying to make it through the crowds, a magician's supplies booth caught Marron's eye, and he happily let himself be swept off the crowded path towards the stacks of books and scrolls.

"Caught your fancy, eh young man?" the aged seller chuckled. "Took you for a mage the moment I saw you coming down the path, I did."

"Hm," Marron agreed, his nose already buried in a book. "Can I get four sheafs of ten-score parchment, and two sheafs of the forty-score? And three pots of Exelhom ink, if you have it." He picked up another book and began thumbing through it.

"Four sheafs of ten-score?" the seller demanded, already stacking up Marron's requests. "By 'eck, you must go through it like a cook goes through oil. And Exelhom ink–that's some mighty fine stuff, but it's tough to get down these parts–"

"Don't worry about the price," Marron said, a third book in hand. "And I will take these books–"

"_Marron?_" came a roaring voice from a few booths down. Startled, Marron started to look up as the voice came closer. "Great Goddesses! Marron, is that you?"

Before the young mage could put down his book and see what was happening, he was over a foot off the ground, nearly choking in a crushing bear hug. "It is you! Woooooo! Oh my god, I didn't know when I'd get to see you again! I didn't know _if_ I'd ever see you again. Are the others here? Are the others here with you?"

Marron tried desperately to get his bearings. Although his first reaction would have been to blast his attacker with magic, he realized quickly enough that he was not in any particular danger. If only whoever was holding him would stop jumping up and down, and maybe let him breath, he might be able to recognize this brawny, overgrown blond who–

"G-g--" Marron choked as he recognized him, "Gateau?" He gurgled as muscular arms squeezed around him again.

"Of course it's me! Did Dota send you guys here? That's why you're here, right? I'm rejoining the team, Marron! I'm coming back to the team!"

Marron tried to laugh and wound up coughing instead. "P-put me do-down you b-b-big oaf!" he demanded, and Gateau immediately plopped him back down on his feet, although he did not let go of him. Panting, Marron pushed his hair out of his face. "It–it is you!" he laughed. "Gateau!"

Gateau laughed with him. As they stood there, laughing at each other and hugging, the interrupted crowds began to move around them, letting the market return to normal. Out of the corner of his eye, Marron caught a flash of platinum-blond hair, and saw the two giggling girls ogling him and Gateau. Was this the "gorgeous hunk" they had been talking about?

"You look great!" Gateau was saying, and Marron turned his eyes to examine his old friend. As he did, he realized why he had not recognized Gateau from the beginning. "Wow," Gateau went on, "I bet all the girls are falling all over you now! Of course, I'm just glad you're still alive after two years of traipsing around with Carrot and the girls. They're still alive, right? Gosh, you look good. How come you got all the good looks in the family, and Carrot got all the stupid?"

"Gateau," Marron murmured, staring at his friend, "You look..." He shook his head to clear it, and stared again. "Amazing," he finished, unable to come up with a better word.

Gateau stepped back. "Don't I, though?" He flexed his arms, and thick, well-toned muscles bunched under his skin. His shirt was well-fitted enough that Marron could easily see the tell-tale ripple of abdominal muscles beneath it. "I've been doing a lot of training, and it's really paid off." Marron stared at his friend, his mind not working. Gateau continued to show off his muscles, turning around to give the catatonic young mage the full view of his body. "I'm thinking about adding a little more to my gluteal exercises, though," he added, patting a hand on his bottom, "I'm just not happy with the musculature there."

"Gah," said Marron.

Turning back around, Gateau pulled Marron into another hug. "It's so great to see you! Here, let me get those bags for you. I'll carry them, don't worry. So where are Carrot and the girls? Honestly, Carrot hasn't got himself killed yet, has he?"

-----

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	8. Chapter VIII

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter VIII

Author's Note: Welcome to the beginning of the anime series!

-----

-----

"I am glad that the five of you are a true team of sorcerer hunters at last," Big Momma told them two months later. "Gateau, I see that you are finding that your additional training is helping you in a less-experienced team. And the rest of you," she addressed the others, "Have found that Gateau's presence completes the balance of your skills. You are now able to take on much larger and more difficult assignments, and complete them much more quickly and easily than before."

"We're looking forward to finally really earning our pay," Chocolate smirked. "We can handle a lot more than what you've been giving us."

"I know that, but I wanted to give you some time to experience the world on your own," the goddess explained. "You will find your new assignments to be much more tasking, and much more dangerous. You may discover things about yourself, as you face your enemies, that you do not like. Yet you will be forced to continue for your own safety, as well as the safety of your teammates. Do you understand?"

"We understand," they chorused.

Carrot flexed his muscles, despite the fact that he now looked significantly weaker next to Gateau's gigantic build. "So where are we headed first, Big Momma?" he asked. "There are pretty girls to save, right?"

Big Momma nodded, her godly features becoming serious. "There are girls in danger, Carrot, but I warn you that you must proceed with greater caution than you have shown in the past."

Gateau nudged Marron and whispered, "Has he _ever_ shown caution in the past?"

Marron shook his head. "Not yet."

"The reason you must be careful," Big Momma continued, "Is because many of your assignments–including the one I am giving you today–will require you to test your skills against sorcerers who not only misuse their powers against the laymen, but who have dabbled in the forbidden magics."

Marron's eyes grew wide. "The forbidden magics?" he whispered.

"Forbidden magic," Gateau growled, clenching his fists. Marron glanced at him, and saw that his friend's face was tight with anger. He realized that he had never known Gateau to get angry, and was thankful when the tall blond composed himself and relaxed his hands. On a whim, Marron placed his hand on Gateau's arm. He was rewarded with a small smile, as if Gateau were apologizing for getting angry. They returned their attention to the goddess before them, although the young mage continued to wonder where Gateau's powerful anger and hatred of forbidden magic had come from.

"The forbidden magics were named such because of the terrifying things they were used for during the Sorcerer's Wars. Honorable sorcerers do not need the powers that this magic provides; Evil sorcerers use the forbidden magic in today's world to increase their power and wealth at the expense of common people."

Marron nodded, well-read on the terrors of the Sorcerer's Wars. Big Momma went on. "Unfortunately, because of the properties of the forbidden magics, it is almost impossible to detect them. We are only alerted of the presense of magic misuse when it is already too late for most of the victims. At that point, a team of sorcerer hunters is called in. Your task is to destroy the sorcerer who has resurrected these powers, and to rescue and provide aide to as many of the victims as you can."

"But not all sorcerers are bad, right Big Momma?" Chocolate asked. Next to her, Tira nodded.

"No, my child, they are not. Nor are all of the uses for the forbidden magics evil. But many are, and anyone who uses a sorcerer's power can feel the tempting call of the forbidden magics."

Marron bit his lip. "So what is our task, Mother?" he asked. "Where are we going? And who must we defend?"

Dota pulled out a hand-mirror and pointed it at him. "Zap!" she said. "You remember studying about the Gameru, right?"

-----

Their campsite was quiet. A few fish burned on stakes over the firepit, and the team of sorcerer hunters stared into the flames. Finally, Marron stood up and walked into the forest.

Chocolate and Tira watched him go, then glared at Carrot.

Carrot tried to look away. "...What are you looking at me for?"

"You idiot!" Tira jumped up and clobbered Carrot with a log. "He's your brother!"

"Darling, you really should go after him," Chocolate added, nodding.

Carrot held up his hands. "No way! I'm not going to go chasing after him in these wood–"

"Is that so?" Tira stepped forward, a rose in her hand. "I think that's very naughty of you, Carrot."

Carrot jumped to his feet. "But hey, you're right! He's my brother, and my brother's my brother, right? I'll go find him," he called back over his shoulder as he raced into the woods.

Gateau continued to stare at the fire. Chocolate nudged him with her foot. "You didn't know, did you?"

The tall blond shook his head. "...You knew?" he asked.

Chocolate shrugged. Tira nodded. "We guessed," the younger sister told him. "But it really wasn't our business to ask him."

Shaking her head, Chocolate poked a stick into the fire, stirring the coals. "You know how sensitive he is about always being mistaken for a girl," she pointed out to Gateau, who nodded back at her. "There was never really a good time to ask him... He doesn't go out of his way to chase after girls the way Darling does."

Gateau stood and started walking into the forest. He stopped. "Why do you think he never told anyone?"

The Misu sisters looked at each other and shrugged, and Gateau continued walking, disappearing into the dark forest.

A moment later, an explosion of black fire lit up the sky. Carrot came racing back into the campsite and dived into his tent. Chocolate eyed him suspiciously. "What did he say, Darling?" she demanded.

"He, er..."

Tira walked over and kicked the tent. Carrot yelped. "Owow! He told me to, um... fuckoff," he mumbled. He poked his head back out of the tent and attempted a weak laugh. "It's a little out of character for him... I think I'll just talk to him again tomo–OwowOW!" he howled, as the Misu sisters simultaneously kicked him in the face.

-----

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	9. Chapter IX

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter IX

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-----

Gateau found the young mage sitting at the edge of a blackened clearing, amazed at how far he had gotten from the campsite in such a short time. He judged from the smoke in the air that the clearing had been made quite recently, and he was pretty sure that Carrot had been on the wrong end of the blast that caused it.

Marron sat with his back against a tree, a tell-tale slip of parchment held delicately between two fingers. His amber eyes seemed to glow like a cat's as Gateau approached. When the tall blond was ten feet away, the mage lifted his hand, preparing to throw the ofuda.

Gateau stopped walking and placed his hands on his waist. "I guess you're expecting me to start pointing and laughing, huh?"

Pale, slender fingers twitched, threatening to throw the spell. The black-haired mage glared at Gateau, daring him to come closer.

"Aw, c'mon Marron," Gateau huffed, stepping forward. He jumped clear as the flaming ofuda streamed at him. When the smoke cleared, he glared at the young mage who, for all he seemed not to have moved, already held another ofuda ready. "What the heck is your problem?" Gateau demanded. "Do you _want_ me to laugh at you? What _do_ you want?"

"Go away," was the whispered demand. After a moment Marron looked away and let his hand fall. "...But you won't do that."

"You're damn right I won't," Gateau growled, quickly covering the distance between them and kneeling next to his friend. "What the hell has got into y–" he stopped, crossing his eyes to look up at the ward pressed against his forhead.

Marron tapped the parchment, then let it fall to the ground. "You could be dead right now," he informed Gateau, his face unreadable.

Gateau grabbed Marron's arm. "You're getting this mad just because Carrot unbuttoned his big fat mouth?" he hissed. When Marron tried to pull his arm away, Gateau let him. "Why didn't you just tell us? You know Carrot can't keep his trap shut–"

"He's not your brother, Gateau, I'll thank you to remember that," Marron hissed back at him between clenched teeth. "He's my brother, and I trust him with my life. The fact that I can't trust him with anything else is not your concern."

"It is if he's putting my team in danger," Gateau said quietly. "Or if he's upsetting my friends."

Marron said nothing and looked away. Gateau snorted. "You like guys, Marron?" he demanded. His friend flinched. Gateau laughed without humor, and pulled his coat off. He flexed his arms, admiring his own muscles. "Is that why you're always looking at me in the bath-houses? I know I'm hard to resist, but–"

His words were cut off by the sharp pain of Marron's hand against his cheek. "I don't need my brother to stand up for me this time," the young mage snarled, his amber eyes flashing. "You want to make fun of me, fine. Go back to the camp and do it there. You will not make me cry, and you will not make me desert Mother's team. But do not _dare_ let me hear you talk about me like that again, or they will not have to bother cremating you for burial."

"Why is that?" Gateau's voice taunted the mage. "You obviously don't get a rise out of girls. We've all noticed that." He ran his hands down his body. Marron's eyes glittered as he unwillingly watched and then looked away. Gateau repeated the gesture. "So you like guys," he said softly, letting his hands trace the muscles from his thighs to his groin while Marron stubbornly looked elsewhere. "Do you like any kind of guy, or just the brainy ones, huh? I'm afraid I'm no competition for them. I just have this gorgeous, perfectly muscled body–"

"Stop it," Marron whispered tensely. "Yes, I find you attractive. Is that what you want to hear?"

This time Gateau's laugh was full-hearted. "I'd rather know it was true, if it's all the same to you." He sat back on his heels and picked up his discarded jacket. "I don't know if it matters to you, but I think you're even better-looking than I am."

"I know you like pretty things."

"Marron, sometimes you're as stupid as your brother."

"I suppose it's good to know I have another failing."

"_Failing?_" Gateau sat up. "You think... you think being gay is a _failing?_" When Marron did not answer, the tall blond sighed and settled down. "I don't know where you got that idea, Marron, but trust me–it's not a failing."

"It's not natural. You do not understand."

"I'm bi, you knucklehead." Marron finally looked at him, blinking his eyes blankly, not understanding. Gateau sighed. "_Bisexual_, Marron," he explained. "I like girls _and_ guys. And who cares if it's natural or not, if it's what you like?"

Marron blinked again, then echoed him slowly, as if trying to understand his words. "...And ...guys?"

"See? You've been knocking me around for the past five minutes for no reason."

"You... like both men and women? S-sexually?"

"Sure." Gateau stood up, and offered Marron a hand. He was relieved that his friend accepted the offer to stand up. "I figured it out... I don't know, maybe a year ago. Cleared up a lot of things in my head once I did."

Marron stared at the forest floor. Gateau raised an eyebrow. "You didn't think me and the girls would be okay with it, did you?" Marron shook his head, and Gateau smiled wryly. "Well, I wish you'd trusted us a little more, but..." A thought came to him. "Er... how long have you known, anyhow?"

Marron thought for a moment. "Almost three years, I think."

Gateau nodded. "And you're... seventeen, right?"

"Sixteen."

The tall blond whistled. "I think I understand why you didn't want to advertise it," he laughed as they started walking back to camp. "Especially with Carrot chasing skirts the way he does."

"It... it is not my primary concern," Marron said. When Gateau looked to him for explaination, he went on, "I have no need to seek romantic encounters, Gateau. My goals are to protect my brother, and to do the task which Mother has trained us to do. Anything beyond that is purely peripheral."

"You've got to stop using those long words, kiddo."

"I am sixteen, Gateau. I am an adult now."

Gateau looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "So you want me to treat you like a grown-up?"

Marron's smile was small. "I'd be disappointed to find out that you hadn't been treating me as an adult since the beginning."

Gateau shrugged. "So you won't mind if I ask you to go on a date with me tomorrow?"

"W-what?" Marron stopped dead in his tracks and stared up at his friend.

Gateau winked at him. "You want me to treat you like a grown-up, right? And I _did_ say you're the best-looking guy I've ever seen."

"N-no you didn't."

"I said you're prettier than me."

"...Oh."

-----

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	10. Chapter X

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter X

Author's Note: I wrote this chapter because I fell in love with a pic of Marron I've seen on a few fansites now. Besides, it adds to the Gaterron loving, which makes me happy.

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-----

Marron looked up from his book. The shade from the awning he sat beneath kept him cool, while the rays of sun lit up the pages perfectly for him to read. Comfortable and relaxed, he watched Gateau go through an extra-long workout in the inn's practice yard. He knew that his tall, vain friend was only staying out in the heat as a result of the numerous young girls who had arrived to watch him.

It was just as well that Gateau was there to attract the young girls; Carrot was chasing away three for every one that arrived.

Gateau picked up a bow and easily bent and strung it. The girls on the fence sighed and swooned as he picked his arrows and began to practice his archery.

"Darling is really starting to get on my nerves," Chocolate gritted out as she sat next to Marron in the shade. "Why does he have to chase after all of those girls when _I_ am right here, willing to..." A dreamy look came into her eye, and Marron decided to return his attention to his book.

"Marron," Gateau called a few minutes later. The young mage looked up to see the tall blond approaching him, bow and quiver in hand. "Give it a try?"

The mage shook his head. "I'd rather not."

"Yeah?" Gateau grinned at him. "Judging from the look of those girls out there, you could shoot and never hit the target once and they'd still be all over you."

"You are not amusing, Gateau." Marron flipped a page and continued reading.

"Bah." Gateau set the bow and quiver on the table and reached for a towel to pat the sweat from his neck.

"I guess we got here in time," said Tira, setting down her lunch plate. "I just hope we guessed right."

"This is the most logical place for them to attack next," Marron reminded her. "It fits the pattern, and it's a small enough town that they won't expect much resis–"

His words were cut off by an explosion of dirt and flying wood. He sighed and shut his book. "That would be them," he said, standing.

The girls that had gathered around the fence screamed and ran in all different directions, as many running towards the site of the explosion as away. More explosions burst from houses, trees and walkways, showering everyone with debris.

"That's definitely them. Are you ready, Tira?" Chocolate stood up, ripping off her coat.

"I'm always ready to put bad boys in their place," Tira said. In a shower of rose petals she stood, ready for battle, her whip in hand. She laughed. "Ahahaha! Here I come, boys!"

"Tira, look out!" Gateau yelled, too late, as a flying ball of blue light hit her in the stomach and detonated, throwing her through a wall.

Carrot dodged more balls of blue light as the dust from the explosions began to die down. Three women stood in the clearing where the town hall used to be. One of them wore armor and carried a giant spiked hammer as if it weighed nothing. The other two had sorcerer's marks on their forheads, that flashed brightly in resonance with the exploding balls of light that danced around them.

"We're not _boys_, whoever you are. What's this?" one of the sorceresses laughed. "Sorcerer hunters? Oooh, I'm _so_ afraid! Ahaha!" Her laugh was obnoxious and piercing, making the sorcerer hunters grit their teeth.

"Look," said the other sorceress, her voice lower and her expression sour. She waved a hand to where Tira lay unconscious, "We've already done away with one of them. The others should be quick work."

"You'd like to think so." Chocolate jumped up, wielding her hooked wire. "No one defeats the sorcerer hunters that easily!" Straight as a pin, the deadly wire flew at the second sorceress.

The wire never reached its mark. The muscular, armored woman retaliated with a strike from her warhammer, shattering two yards of Chocolate's garrot wire. A large stone thrown by Gateau was similarly batted away.

"Who's the weak link?" the sorceress' bodyguard laughed. She caught sight of Carrot, who was panting from exertion from evading the sorcerer's magic blasts. "You!" she decided, swinging her warhammer in a wide arc.

"Yowp!" Carrot yelled as he realized his danger. He jumped and ran to avoid the bodyguard's attack, too late. The blunt end of the warhammer caught him in the chest, knocking him flat.

"BROTHER!" Marron roared. A flash of light blinded Gateau, Chocolate, and the trio of attackers. As the world dimmed again, Marron raced towards the sorcerers. His voice shrieked with magic and anger. "_How dare you hurt my BROTHER?_" He jumped into the air so fast, it appeared as if he were flying. Then he came down on the sorceresses, the runes on his ofuda flaming even before they hit their marks.

The world was silent for a moment. Then the ground beneath the pair of sorceresses exploded in flames, and the sorceresses with it.

As the dust settled, Marron ran to his brother. "Are you alright, my brother?" he asked, his voice soft and concerned.

Carrot tried to sit up and winced. He wrapped his arms around his ribs. "I... no," he coughed.

Marron carefully lay him back down. He pulled off his outer robes and draped them over Carrot's body, then placed an ofuda parchment on his chest. "Stay here," he commanded. "I'll get you a doctor."

"Be careful, Chocolate," Gateau warned. "Their bodyguard is still running around here somewhere." Fists clenched tight and ready, he braced himself, looking around.

Chocolate waved the settling dust away from her face. "Er... not exactly," she called back at him. Her eye twitched and her mouth hung open as she stared at the debris. She looked slightly sick.

It took another moment of dust dissipation before Gateau could see what held her attention. When he could, he walked over.

The bodyguard's eyes were glazed over, drying blood caked with dirt trickling from her mouth as she lay slumped over the crumbling cornerstones of what had once been a building. Three arrows stood out of her chest, half-shaft deep, in a straight line just below her collarbone.

After staring at the body for a moment, Gateau looked at Chocolate. "...I didn't know you could shoot like that," he said, still stunned.

"I... don't even know which end of a bow is up." Chocolate looked at him. "You didn't do that?"

Gateau shook his head. "Wasn't me."

"Tira can't use a bow either," the elder Misu sister mused.

"Oh, that's just not fair," came a groggy voice from nearby. Chocolate and Gateau looked over to see Tira pushing herself into a standing position. "I missed the whole fight?" she groaned, staggering over to them. She took a moment, herself, to stare at the arrow-riddled body. "Wow, Gateau... good shot."

He shook his head again. "I'm telling you–it wasn't me!"

"Darling!" Chocolate cried, running to where Carrot lay on the ground.

"Ugh," Carrot groaned, his vision blurry.

"Oh, Darling, you're hurt," his admirer crooned. "What's this?" She peered at the ofuda on his chest. "It's one of Marron's isn't it?"

"...C-can't... move..." the elder Glaice brother gritted. His face tightened and his fingers twitched, but he appeared to be unable to sit up.

"It was to keep you still, brother dear," Marron explained, standing over the gathered team. An old woman stood next to him, panting, carrying a medic's bag. "You need a doctor."

-----

Marron sighed as he slowly lowered himself into the hot spring water. Carrot was strapped to his bed to prevent him from aggravating his injuries–or from chasing after the doctor's young assistant. A thick wall separated this spring from the next one over, where the girls were soaking their bruises from the day's fight.

He placed his towel on a rock where it would not fall, and found himself a place to sit comfortably. As he submerged his left arm, he winced.

"I thought so," Gateau's voice was unsurprised, although it startled Marron, who looked up. His large friend was leaning over a pile of rocks above him, looking down on him. Jumping over the rocks, he landed next to Marron with a splash, soaking them both.

Gateau gently took Marron's left arm and turned it wrist-up. In the light from the bath house, they could both see the red welts on Marron's forearm.

"You're sure protective of your brother," Gateau commented. He stood, grabbing his towel from a nearby rock and wrapping it around his waist. He waded out of the spring, only to return a minute later with a cloth bandage. He sat back down, and Marron silently allowed his friend to bandage his arm. "I've never seen you pick up a bow before."

"Brother... wanted to learn, once."

Gateau tossed the extra bandages to the bank of the pool. "Never seen him shoot a bow, either."

Marron smiled. "He became bored with it quickly, but Mother made us continue our lessons. He's actually not bad."

"It only took one shot to kill that bitch." Gateau leaned back against a rock and put his arms behind his head.

Marron determinedly closed his eyes and settled himself lower into the steaming bath. He had no intention of playing his vain friend's games.

"And," Gateau went on, not seeming to notice that Marron was not admiring his muscular body, "It only took one shot to rip half the skin off your arm." Marron slipped off the seat-ledge to sit lower in the water, hoping his friend would let up, to no avail. "But you shot her _three_ times. Remind me never to challenge you at archery. And I'll make sure to stay away from Carrot, too." He glanced down at Marron, who was all but eyes and ears underwater. "Any other skills I should know about?"

Marron sighed, then regretted it, as the air rushed out of his mouth. He was forced to pull himself back out of the water and onto the ledge to inhale again. "I can use a sword. Mother made sure that my brother and I learned how to fence."

Gateau stretched and rubbed his neck. "Anything else?"

"I'm not going to give you all my secrets, Gateau."

The brawny blond laughed. "Better that you don't, I guess." He grinned at the small mage. "Hey, Marron..."

Marron looked up at his friend. "Yes?"

The blond's grin nearly split his face. "I was hoping you'd say that," he said. In one swift move he pulled the young mage into his arms. Fistfuls of long, black hair clenched in his hand as he braced Marron's head and pressed their lips together.

Too shocked to react at first, Marron stared at Gateau's face, so close to his, feeling lips on his own for the very first time. As he tried to come back to himself, his slender fingers scrabbled over Gateau's thickly muscled shoulders, slippery with water, trying to find a grip. Finally, he gave in, wrapping one arm around Gateau's back, the other running up to bury his fingers in blond hair, and he closed his eyes as he relaxed into his friend's embrace.

After a few moments, Gateau pulled away, still grinning from ear to ear. Marron tried to sit back, but found himself well-entangled in muscular arms. "What are you smiling about?" he demanded.

"Just wanted to know if you'd do that," came the pert reply.

Marron frowned. "You're obnoxious." He half-heartedly tried to push himself away, only to find himself nose to nose with Gateau, and eye-to-eye with bright, ice-blue irises.

"And you're sexy when you're on the offensive," Gateau murmured, pulling Marron in for another prolonged kiss. This time when they parted, it was just enough to breath. Their lips barely touched as they inhaled the steamy hot spring air. "Okay," Gateau said, his breath short, "You're actually sexy all the time." He butterfly-kissed Marron's open mouth.

"You keep saying I'm sexy," Marron panted. Gateau looked through the mage's lowered lashes to see darkening amber eyes. "But I know you just like me because I think you're attractive." He pressed his head forward and kissed Gateau hard, something the other man did not seem to mind at all. Their hands grappled over each other's backs as they tried to pull closer to one another.

Suddenly Gateau turned the tables on the young mage, flipping him around in the water so that he faced away, then pulling him against his chest. Marron craned his neck up and backwards, trying to see Gateau's reddening face. "...Gateau?"

Gateau buried his nose in the tangled hair on Marron's neck for a moment, inhaled, then set the younger man gently but quickly down. He stood swiftly and waded back to the bathhouse, re-wrapping his soaked towel around his waist again as he went.

-----

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	11. Chapter XI

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter XI

Author's Note: I actually wrote this scene before watching the OAV with Mille Feuille and the Death Master. The only other thing I have to say about this chapter is--the plot thickens

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Marron tossed another ofuda at another undead warrior with deadly accuracy, pulling yet another replacement to his fingertips, ready to destroy the next target he chose out of the swarming horde. While seemingly every one of the enemy warriors wanted to attack Carrot, the Misu sisters darted back and forth, combining their talents to kill large sections of the swarm at once.

Gateau stood a few feet ahead of the young mage, watching for any of the undead that might have made it past Marron's ofuda and traps. He threw stones at the approaching enemy with as much ease and effectiveness as the mage's magic parchments, never tiring.

Marron decided it was time to use a bigger spell. Single-target spells took no effort at all, but the numbers they were faced with called for a large-scale attack. Was Gateau humming?

The mage glanced at his tall friend, who appeared to be enjoying himself immensely as he systematically crushed undead warrior after undead warrior. Shaking his head, Marron aimed his new, intricately-runed parchment at a mostly un-decomposed enemy who marched in the center of the encroaching ranks and stood nearly twice as tall as the others around him.

He tossed the ofuda with a deft flick of his fingers. It burned through the air straight to its mark, where it exploded in a giant sphere of red flames.

To his shock, his target began to grow.

Marron heard Carrot yelling across the battlefield, "He's a zoanthrope!"

"No way." Gateau pushed a boulder down the hill, taking out most of the troops charging towards them. "Like Carrot?"

"Brother!" Marron yelled, ofuda flashing as it left his fingertips.

Across the field, Carrot squealed. "No no no no noooo! I hate this joooooob!" he howled as Marron's parchment hit him, forcing him to transform.

Marron's targetted undead warrior was now towering over the small hill he and Gateau stood on. "It's an undead sorcerer," Marron told Gateau. "Be careful." The blond nodded.

The zoanthropic zombie finished its transformation, and the sorcerer hunters took in the sight with disgust. It was a monster, half-lizard and half-bird, its flesh no more alive in this form than the previous. Milky eyes swirled in their sockets, focusing on Marron.

The mage prepared another ofuda. "This isn't going to work, Gateau," he yelled. "Get away from here!"

"Like hell I will," the brawny blond retorted as the giant zombie's head turned towards them. "Marron, get out of the way!" He charged up to where the mage stood, but not fast enough. The zoanthropic sorcerer opened its rotting mouth wide and shot its lizard-like tongue at Marron, spearing him through the shoulder. Roaring, Gateau attacked, tearing the monster's tongue from its head as Marron fell backwards down the backside of the hill.

Now fully transformed, Carrot attacked the undead head-on, with Chocolate and Tira backing him up, wire and whips cutting through flesh and breaking bones.

Gateau raced over the hill to join them. He arrived just in time for the broken remains to clatter to the ground and turn to dust, along with the few remaining undead from the earlier horde. While Tira turned to reinstating Carrot to normal, Chocolate followed Gateau back over the hill. "What happened?"

"Got Marron in the shoulder," Gateau gritted out as they ran. They topped the hill and slid down to where Marron lay, and kneeled next to him. The zombie's tongue had turned to dust, leaving a gaping, bloody hole where it had been.

"Oh my god," Chocolate whispered. "We... we have to find a doctor immediately." She stood up. "I think I remember seeing a medic's sign in the village. I'll be right back–don't let him die," she instructed Gateau, then raced off.

Marron was sweating, his normally pale face now deathly white with pain and bloodloss. "Y-you need to get my robes off," he mumbled, nearly incoherant. "Th-the doc... tor..."

Gateau nodded, and immediately ripped Marron's robes from the collar to the waist. "This isn't what I'd hoped for when I wanted you to ask me to take your clothes off," he muttered. Try as he could, there was no way to painlessly pull the ripped and bloody cloth away from the wound, and he winced as Marron gritted his teeth and tensed in pain, causing more blood to flow freshly from the wound.

"Cut that out," Gateau whispered, worried. Where were Carrot and Tira? He was no doctor. Where was Chocolate? "You'll only make it worse."

His hands shaking, Gateau tried to stop up the wound with bunches of clean cloth from the rest of Marron's robes, knowing that it was not enough. He jumped when the hand on Marron's uninjured arm waved jerkily at him. "Marron?"

"Pen..." Marron whispered, his eyes closed tight. "...En... dant... p-pendant. Ta... ke it." With that, his head fell back. Gateau surged forward, fearing the worst, but saw from the continuing rise and fall of his chest that his friend was still alive. He was unconscious.

"Pendant..." he murmured. He did not see any chain around Marron's neck. Then, on a second glance, he saw slightly reddened skin, as if the mage regularly wore something around his neck that rubbed against the skin. Gateau traced the red line, and was surprised to feel something like a heavy chain offset from it. Yet he saw nothing.

As soon as he pulled the chain free from Marron's neck, it became visible. It was made of thick, sturdy links of silvery metal. Most impressive was the polished stone set into the central link. It was pitch black, yet Gateau could see through it as if it were glass. A six-pointed star inside the stone gleamed a dark blue.

A cloud of dust made him look up. Chocolate was returning, towing a medic behind her, and Carrot and Tira were racing towards him as well. After a moment's thought, he slipped the pendant into his pocket, deciding that it was obviously something Marron did not want to share.

-----

"It's really nice," Gateau told the young mage the next day. He fastened the clasp behind Marron's head and watched, amazed, as the entire necklace faded and disappeared, leaving only Marron's pale skin and the layers of bandages to be seen. "Where'd you get it?"

"Thank you." Marron reached up to touch his collarbone, where the stone would be if it were visible. "It was... a gift. And thank you for not showing the others."

Gateau grinned at him. "That another one of your secrets?" Marron's deadpan expression made him laugh. "Just asking."

Marron sighed and winced in pain. Gateau frowned. Looking up from his hospital bed, Marron raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Gateau?" he asked.

"I thought you were gonna die."

"How romantic."

"I was worried about you, Marron."

"Oh? I'd think you were more afraid that I'd lose my boyish beauty with scarring."

Gateau's eyes glittered. "That's not–"

Marron's smile was small, but well-meant. "You were just afraid I was going to die a virgin."

Gateau laughed. "Now that," he agreed, "Would be a tragedy." He leaned over to kiss Marron softly. "Get some rest," he instructed him, squeezing his hand.

The young mage squeezed his hand in return. "Only if you stay here," he said, looking Gateau in the eye. The tall blond took the bait, and settled into a chair as Marron let himself fall into a recuperative sleep.

-----

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	12. Chapter XII

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter XII

Author's Note: This would be the point at which my story begins to really split from the anime series. It'll only get worse from here... Enjoy!

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"Prick tease, prick tease," Gateau whispered playfully in his ear. "Prick tease, prick tease."

Marron waved his hand at his friend, not really trying to fend him off. "I'm not so sure you're the one who should be saying that." His voice was soft, so the squabbling menagerie-a-trois ahead of them could not hear.

Gateau's calloused fingers tickled his ear. "We had a perfect opportunity..."

"My brother was in danger."

"We didn't know that then!"

"I have a sixth sense."

"Which I'd like to spend about ten hot hours pounding out of your naked body."

Marron blushed faintly. "They'll hear you," he said, nodding at their teammates ahead of them

Gateau shrugged. "Can't be any worse than one of Chocolate's daydreams."

"Or my dear brother's extraordinarily polychromatic metaphores regarding coital relationships," Marron agreed.

"You keep using those big words," Gateau murmured. He let his hand fall from Marron's ear to tuck behind the black sash at the small of his back. "How long do you think it would take me to pound those out of you?" he teased, tugging gently on Marron's sash.

A puff of white smoke saved Marron from having to reply.

"Hi there!" Dota greeted them all with a wave of her hand and a sunny smile.

"Hey, Dota!" Carrot greeted her with a leer. "Got room on cloud nine for two?"

Dota giggled. "Carrot, you're such a pervert!"

He waggled his eyebrows at her. "And how's that going to stop me from making heaven real for both of us?"

Chocolate reached a hand back towards her sister, her other hand fisted in anger. "Give me the number five," she demanded. After a moment of searching, Tira handed her a large mallet, which she promptly used to clobber her 'Darling.'

"This is no time for joking," Dota told them, shaking her head. "This is important."

"As important as you not telling us about the gods inside us?" Chocolate huffed. "I'd call _that_ important. Or how about giving us a little warning next time you decide to try to kill one of us?"

"I felt it was necessary." The team of hunters looked up as the vision of Big Momma appeared in front of them. Her face was sad. "I knew the consequences it could have if you learned of your incarnations early on. It is my fault for not informing you, and you are right to blame me. I..." Tears formed in her eyes. "...I told you how hard it was, for me."

"Aw, we understand," Carrot told the goddess. "Heck, we probably wouldn't be sorcerer hunters right now if we'd known back then that we had gods inside us. You're just doing your job, so forget about it--or better yet, just give me that bonus and I'll forget all about it!"

"I know." Big Momma smiled at him, then at the others. "I chose a difficult path for you. I hope that someday you can forgive me."

"That doesn't explain what we need to do about Zaha Torte," Marron said, stepping forward. "Obviously you have been preparing us to defeat him." He looked around at his teammates, then turned to the goddess and spread his arms. "We are at the peak of our training. Our skills will never be better than they are now, Mother. If we are to defeat Zaha Torte, you must tell us how. That _is_ why you followed us, even though we walked out on you... Is it not?"

-----

Tomorrow.

Years of training to enter battle situations unexpectedly, without warning, roiled in the minds of the five sorcerer hunters as they crouched silently around their campfire. The knowledge that they would be facing their most lethal enemy tomorrow made them brood and plan, uncharacteristically quiet while they waited.

Which was something Carrot could deal with easily.

"You know, we're all probably going to die tomorrow," the elder Glaice brother announced as he stood up. The others glanced up at him, and he looked around the fire at each of them. "But you know what?" His question was met with silence, until he grinned lecherously. "I'm not going to die a virigin, so I'll see you guys later!"

With that, he ran full-speed off into the early dusk.

Chocolate jumped to her feet. "How can he _think_ about trying to find some floozy at a time like this! I don't want to die a virgin, either!" She ran after him.

"I guess that means I should follow them," Tira sighed, standing. "Or they're both going to die virgins, because she'll kill him." And she was gone.

After a few minutes of relatively comfortable silence, Marron spoke up. "Do you think the three of them will finally settle down and do it?"

Gatea snorted in amusement. "Not if Carrot has anything to say about it. Those two?"

"Oh, I don't know..."

Marron scooted closer to his friend, leaning his head on one tanned, muscular arm. When that arm lifted to pull him closer, he wrapped his arms around Gateau's chest.

The minutes of silence stretched. Gateau began to gently twine his fingers through the strands of black hair that fell over them.

Marron pushed himself into a kneeling position, facing Gateau, and pulled his friends towards him. Gateau obliged, smiling. "What's up, Marron?" he asked.

Pressing his face forward, Marron kissed Gateau slowly. He ran his arms behind Gateau's brawny neck, and used that leverage to pull himself fully into his friend's arms. Strong hands wrapped around his waist as Gateau sat back.

Minutes passed before Marron pulled away. His cheeks were pink, matching Gateau's, but his expression was not a happy one.

Gateau sighed and kissed the corner of Marron's frowning mouth. "You're just as worried about tomorrow as the rest of us. That's very... human... of you, Marron."

"But I'm not," was the soft reply. "I'm not really that worried. I think that is what bothers me."

"Why not?"

Marron frowned. "I can not say."

Gateau flexed his fingers around Marron's waist, tickling the young mage and causing him to squirm. "You know something?" he teased. "If you got an 'in' on tomorrow's outcome, I'd love to make a bet with Carrot. The look on his face would be–"

Laughing, Marron shook his head. "It's not like that." He combed his fingers through Gateau's blond hair. "I think it might be because I know it will be tomorrow. And I know it will be a magician's battle." Gateau watched Marron's amber eyes drift from his face to some other, unfocused sight. "I know when it will happen, and I know what will happen. I know what my options are. Why should I be afraid?"

"Don't be," Gateau advised. "Let the rest of us get scared shitless."

"I'm scared for all of you," Marron whispered, still staring into space. "What will become of our team?"

Gateau shrugged and leaned back, pulling Marron with him. He propped his head up on his arm, one hand resting on on his friend's. "I think Carrot and the girls just want to retire... As for me, well, there's always going to be sorcerers to hunt."

"I would die if anything happened to my brother, Gateau."

"I think I'll feel sorry for the poor bastard that hurts your brother," the tall blond laughed. "I've seen you when you get protective of him."

Amber eyes took on a haunted look. "What if... something happens to me?" the young mage asked. "Who would look out for him?"

Gateau sighed and gripped Marron's hand, pulling it toward him and forcing the mage to look at him. "That's why we're a team, Marron. We all take care of each other."

"I am sorry if my melodrama is upsetting you, Gateau."

"Not really."

"You'll watch out for my brother?"

"I'll have to fight Chocolate and Tira for the honor." Gateau grimaced, making Marron laugh, "But I'll protect him as well as I've protected you this last year."

Marron squeezed his friend's hand. "If that's the case, I shouldn't worry at all, because I know I'll live through tomorrow."

"Did you just flatter me?" The brawny blond looked slightly surprised.

Marron continued as if he had not heard Gateau's question. "Now there's just one thing left for me to worry about."

"Worrying is kind of... not normal for you, Marron. Except about your brother."

"I worry all the time, Gateau." Marron raised an eyebrow at his friend. "I just don't show it. I worry about Chocolate and Tira and their feelings. I worry about my brother, and his health, and his safety... and pretty much everything else about him. I worry about you," he said, leaning in to kiss Gateau.

"Uhuh," Gateau hummed, leaning in just as Marron pulled away again.

"I do," said the mage softly. He pulled Gateau's hand to his face and leaned his cheek against it. "I worry about your safety, your opinions..."

Gateau rubbed Marron's cheek with his hand, then slid his palm up, to run his fingers through long, raven hair. "Do you ever worry about yourself?" he asked curiously.

"Oh yes." Marron smiled at Gateau. The light was not so dim yet that the blond could not make out a slight blush on his friend's pale cheeks.

"Er... Marron?"

Reflective amber eyes caught clear ice blue. "I'm terribly afraid," Marron whispered, "That I'm going to die a virgin."

-----

Chocolate caught up with Carrot after five high-speed chases through town, two dunks in the town's canals, three run-ins with a stripper named 'Boopsie', and an apology to a fishwife whose laundry she had massacred. He was sitting at a small fire a few minutes walk from their campsite, warming his hands as she walked up, panting.

"W-why aren't you at the camp, D-darling?" she asked. She put her hands on her knees and sat down to catch her breath.

"Uh..." Carrot glanced over his shoulder in the direction of their camp. "W-well," he stammered, "I just thought I'd spend some time to myself, y'know..."

A moment after he finished speaking, a deep howl came from the direction of their camp, followed by a screaming call slightly higher in tone. Chocolate jumped up and stepped towards the camp, readying her garrot wire. "What's out there?" she asked, already prepared to fight, "Are Gateau and Marron still there? Are they all right?"

Carrot blushed a very uncharacteristic red, bright enough that Chocolate turned to look at him.

"Er... they're still there," Carrot confirmed, as more yelling came from the camp.

Chocolate stopped dead in her tracks, color flushing into her cheeks. "Was... that... Gateau?" she asked weakly.

"Oh, here you are," came the sound of Tira's voice. Chocolate and Carrot swivelled to see her as she stepped into the firelight. She blinked at them as she pulled her cloak around her. "Why are you guys here instead of at the–"

From the campsite, increasingly loud calls and a yelping moan caught the ears of Carrot and the Misu sisters. Beneath her thick glasses, Tira blushed in the firelight. "Eh... was that Marron?"

-----

Carrot woke up, groggy, as Tira nudged him. "Whassat?" he mumbled. "If Tortawhatsisisisis here, tell him tah come back–" he yawned, "–later."

"No, Carrot," Tira whispered. "I, er... we think it's okay to go back to the camp now."

The elder Glaice brother opened one eye blearily. "What time is it?"

"Maybe three or four I think."

Listening carefully, Carrot could not hear any sounds coming from the campsite. He stood up, yawning. "Well, let's see if we can get at least a half a night's decent sleep," he groaned.

Chocolate kicked dirt over the embers of their small fire, and they pushed through the forest to their campsite.

The sight they found answered a few of their questions, but still left Carrot and the Misu sisters staring in stunned silence. The central fire was still miraculously burning, although an oddly-shaped spread of ashes and some tattered scraps of fabric that looked suspiciously similar to Marron's over-robes and Gateau's vest littered the dirt around the pit.

The Misu sisters' tent was knocked entirely over, Gateau's black briefs waving like a flag from the listing center pole. They found the majority of the pile of drywood poking out of the flap of the tent the Glaice brothers shared, and a package of jerky that had been upended into a very large pitcher of Gateau's favorite beer. Finally, they noticed a large hole ripped in the side of Gateau's tent, close to the ground. A second look showed that Gateau's foot was poking through it.

"That's kind of impressive," Tira commented, adjusting her glasses as she took in the damage.

Chocolate turned to Carrot, who was slumped over, looking slightly green at the wreckage. "What's wrong, Darling?"

"Yeah," Tira said. "Don't tell me you didn't notice that Marron and Gateau have a thing going?"

"Er, I... uh... kind of figured," was the halfhearted response. He looked ready to cry.

"Darling, you don't disapprove of him and Gateau, do you?" Chocolate asked, as if the very idea were impossible.

The elder Glaice brother shook his head. "How...?" he mumbed. "...Why...?" He grabbed his hair with both hands and pulled. "Aaaugh!"

"Darling!"

"Carrot, what's wrong?" asked Tira, concerned. The Misu sisters rushed to Carrot's side and put their arms around him.

A sudden loud snore came from Gateau's tent, causing the three hunters to turn and look at it. The tent shook for a moment, and there was a sound of rustling bedding as Gateau's foot was pulled inside the tent. There was some incoherant mumbling, followed by, "Uhm humm... I'll also take the book on the History of Mahmahmummughmm... Gateau, can you carry these for me? And two pots of Exelhom ink, pleashhhzzzz..."

"I... I don't know what's worse," Carrot said bleakly. "The fact that we're all probably gonna die tomorrow... Or the fact that my little brother lost his virginity before I did."

-----

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	13. Chapter XIII

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter XIII

Author's Note: I had to pirate the names of the Peer Gods from various fansites. Forgive me if I have sinned. If I have misspelled, well... that's worse. I'm sorry.

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-----

Marron's vision grew increasingly dim. He was not dead yet, but that was just a matter of time. How had he been outsmarted? How could Zaha Torte have known what spell he was using, and stopped him? Oh, the sorcerer... the wolf... It hurt. It hurt so much.

It was as if he could feel every... drop... of... blood...

The sorcerer hunters watched in horror as Marron clenched his fists, fighting to hold on. Then his hands and face relaxed, falling under the power of gravity.

Gateau could not remember many details beyond that. Zaha Torte laughed, Carrot grew angry. Chocolate and Tira's clothes were ripped and bloody as they cried and fought. His armor was ripped from his body as he tried to fight alongside them.

A scream of rage–Gateau remembered that. He knew in his heart that they were all going to die as Carrot lost control and transformed. The beast roared and screamed, snorting and bellowing as he charged in the direction no one expected him to go–towards Zaha Torte.

Chocolate shrieked with pain and anger as one of Torte's spells exploded in her sister's face. Using every ounce of strength and skill he possessed, Gateau bounded over the ground, defying the quaking earth. He grabbed the younger Misu and, slinging her over his shoulder, made for stable ground.

One of Big Momma's Haz Knights took Tira from him. He felt the ground stop jumping beneath him, although Carrot's raging cries continued to echo in the newly-formed valley.

"Mother," the Knight Mille Feuille said, kneeling shakily in front of Big Momma, weak from wounds not yet healed. "We have Chocolate."

The goddess clasped her hands together as if praying. "Good. Take Gateau."

"You can't!" Gateau yelled as the knight reached out to take his arm. "Carrot's still out there!" he screamed. The world spun around him. "Carrot's still out there! Marron's still out there!"

-----

"I failed him," he whispered. He stared into the pool of water. His reflection failed to please him. "I failed him."

A few yards away and three stories up, the Misu sisters looked down at Gateau from a balcony. "Do you think he'll ever forgive himself?" Tira asked quietly.

Chocolate shook her head. "I really don't know." She watched as their tall comrade hurled a table into the pristine pool. Big Momma had arranged for them to stay at the beautiful, peaceful estate of one of her Haz Knight's mortal families, giving them a place to rest and recuperate.

Gateau started throwing chairs, potted plants, and anything else he could pick up into the pool. "Stop looking at me, you bastard!" he roared as the ripples smoothed out and his reflection glared up at him again. "What kind of god _are_ you!"

"I don't think any of us will ever forgive ourselves fully," the elder Misu sister said, shaking her head and stepping away from the edge of the balcony.

Tira watched for another moment, her eyes sad. "He probably never told Marron how much he loved him, if I know Gateau."

"Probably not."

"_You call yourself the Defender of the North_!" More splashing and crunching filled their ears. "_What about defending him_!"

"Miss Chocolate, Miss Tira," said a soft voice. The sisters looked at the doorway, where the Knight Mille Feuille stood. He bent his arm at his waist and bowed to the sisters. "You should know that Carrot has awakened."

"M-my Darling is going to be alright?" whispered Chocolate, her eyes filling with tears. She ran to the knight. "Take me to him! Now!"

Tira joined them quickly at the door. "Take _us_ to him," she corrected.

Beneath them, Gateau kneeled next to the pool, now filled with furniture and debris. He pounded his fists uselessly against the water.

"I don't need you anymore Hokuten Kauruman!" he yelled. "I never needed you!" He punched the leg of a chair that stood out from the pile in the pool. "I don't need any help being a failure! So leave me alone!"

-----

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	14. Chapter XIV

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter XIV

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"Carrot," Big Momma said, her voice gentle as she looked at him. She looked at the others, naming them in turn. "Gateau. Chocolate. Tira."

Gateau clenched his fists. Marron's name would have been last. He remembered how the young mage, small as he was, tended to disappear behind his own bulky body, only to poke his head out and step forward when Big Momma finally called attention to him.

Bulky was the only way he could think of his body now. Should he, Gateau Mocha, not have made a much better target for Zaha Torte? Surely a better, bigger target than one small, slender mage. How could Torte have missed this hulking great body, so much of a bulkier target... He touched his fingers to his collar, where he felt the invisible amulet that he had managed to salvage from Marron's shredded body. It was all he had, and the normally cool metal felt faintly warm on his fingertips.

"Your bodies are healed from your battle three months ago," the goddess said. "Although I know that the wounds in your hearts still bleed." She pressed her hands to her chest and looked down. "They bleed for me as well."

Dota observed the team of sorcerer hunters sadly. They had been such a carefree group just a year ago. Carrot maintained a pretense of indifference that belied his new sense of self-preservation. Chocolate no longer fawned over Carrot, and distanced herself from her sister. Tira had developed lines under her eyes from sleepless nights and worry. And Gateau no longer joked or preened, carrying himself straight and silent wherever he went.

The cherub missed Marron's calming effect on the team and his pretty smile. She missed the old sorcerer hunters.

"I must ask you to hold to your vows as sorcerer hunters," Big Momma went on. "The continent still needs your help–there are still many sorcerers out there who prey on the parsoners. I need you, and they need you, to stand for them once again."

A puff of smoke announced the arrival of the Knight Mille Feuille. He bowed to the gathered sorcerer hunters, and to Big Momma. "I am sorry to interrupt," he apologized. "But I must inform you that I have completed part of the mission you set me on." With a nod from the goddess, he continued. "It is as you thought. There is a starstone in the world once again. But it has not yet used enough power for us to locate it."

Dota gasped, and Big Momma put a hand to her mouth, as if shocked. "I was afraid it would be so..." the goddess murmured. She shook her head and turned back to face the quartet of hunters, spreading her arms to the broken team. "Please, put aside your pain, to help relieve those who cannot help themselves."

When the four hunters were gone, the goddess turned to her Knight. "I... had forgotten," she apologized. "And I would never have thought that he would do such a thing."

"Don't apologize to me," Mille Feuille recommended, raising an eyebrow. His voice was unusually reflective. "I forgot as well. It has been... more than centuries. Perhaps, though, this time we will be the ones to reap what we have sown." He bowed and excused himself from her presense.

-----

Gateau ticked them off on his fingers. "Eight sorcerers last week. Five the week before. Last month it was like twenty or thirty or, or... I don't know! We just did another two yesterday. When is it going to stop?" he demanded, glaring up at the vision of Big Momma.

It was just the goddess, Dota, and the brawny blond. His hair was growing long, and was half-pulled back in an unkempt ponytail. They stood in the giant antechamber, Gateau's voice echoing.

"The sorcerers will never stop, Gateau," Big Momma told him. "All I can do is hope for time to grant my teams of sorcerer hunters respite."

"I don't want respite," Gateau spat at her. "I want to get out of this job."

"Gateau..."

"I hate this job, Big Momma!" he yelled. "I can't do this anymore! Take a look at your precious team–it's falling apart!"

The goddess sighed. "I know that, Gateau."

The tall blond fumed. "So why do you keep–"

"There is no one else," Big Momma informed him firmly. "And by the vows you took when you became sorcerer hunters, you must defend the common people against sorcerers as long as you are able."

"I'd take that vow back in... in a half a second, if I could," Gateau growled. "This is useless! It's not getting any better out there!" he roared. "I don't think it ever will!"

Dota winced, and Big Momma sighed heavily. "You sound... like another hunter I knew once."

"Yeah?" he demanded. "Who?"

"Zaha Torte."

Gateau took a sharp breath, then exhaled loudly through his nose. The warmth from Marron's pendant around his neck counteracted the chill that ran down his spine at the sound of Zaha Torte's name. "I hope I never become like him," he told her, teeth clenched, "But right now I can't say I've got a lot of faith in the system."

"I do understand, Gateau," she said. "I do. Are you any happier to know that more children are being trained even as we speak, to become sorcerer hunters once they have completed their lessons?" He snorted, and she shook her head. "The world will always need sorcerer hunters, Gateau. But you are right–your team has seen more in the past year and a half than most teams see in ten years."

"What are you going to do, Big Momma?" Dota asked.

With a smile at the small cherub, the goddess replied, "In six months I will disband your team, Gateau. I will work you hard until then, but after that, I shall release you from your vows as sorcerer hunters."

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	15. Chapter XV

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter XV

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"Sorcerer hunters." The goddess's voice commanded their attention. Still and quiet, they turned their tired faces to hers. "I have one final task for you."

It was three days before the anniversary of Marron's death and the defeat of Zaha Torte. With just these four days left in service to Big Momma, the mutinous and disgusted expressions on their faces were clear.

"We're actually very fortunate that you're still working for us right now," Dota told them. "We don't have another team at the moment that could handle the sort of magic we need you to deal with."

"Well, what kind of magic is it, Dota?" Carrot asked. "Is it forbidden magic?" Dota nodded.

Gateau grumbled. He hated forbidden magic. He hated all sorcerers, and what they had done to him, to Opera, and to Marron. He rubbed his hand on his neck, no longer surprised to feel the metal of his necklace hot to the touch. Gateau wondered how Marron had been able to stand it. He thought he remembered the chain being cool the times he had felt it around Marron's neck.

"Over the last few months," Big Momma spoke up, "There have been many reports of magic being drained away. Sorcerers and mages alike have felt themselves weaken slightly. I, myself, have felt as if someone has dipped a small spoon into the pool of magic I call upon."

"So, they're not really taking a lot of magic from you?" Chocolate asked, and the goddess shook her head.

"Actually," Tira said, "Whoever is doing this must have a lot of magic stored somewhere. Think about how many magic-users there are in the world," she pointed out. "Even if you only take a tiny bit from each of them, it still adds up over time."

"A sorcerer could do a lot of damage with that much magic," Gateau commented.

"That is what we decided," said Big Momma. "There are three types of magic that allow a person to siphon magic from others. All three are forbidden, and for good reasons. I will give you two days to research as you must, then send you to the Shrine of Seasons, on top of Gwayin Mountain in the far East. That appears to be where the stolen magic is going."

The quartet of hunters were enveloped in an orb of orange light. As they disappeared, Dota sat next to Big Momma's feet and crossed her arms. "I still think you should have told them," she huffed.

"It was not your decision, little one."

"I can't believe you think they're going to be okay, just sending them in there like this," the cherub went on. She was clearly not happy. "Gateau especially. You know how he gets about forbidden magics."

"I have done them all a great disservice already, Dota. Their eyes have been shaded since the day I took them under my wing. Now it is time for their hearts to go a new way."

-----

"Just one more bloody job," Chocolate said, her tone sullen as they set up camp outside the Shrine of Seasons. "Then we're done with this."

"I'm glad," said Tira. She sat on a stone and polished her glasses. "I'm sick of helping people... Well, I used to like helping people..." She shook her head. "I just don't like doing it like this anymore."

"Let's just get it over with," Carrot grumbled. "Let's kill the sorcerer and get out of here. What the hell is wrong with you?" he snapped at Gateau. "You look like you're choking on one of Chocolate's spice fritters."

"Ack," Gateau grunted, his eyes watering. Marron's chain was burning his neck. He managed to get a layer of his shirt under the invisible chain, although he was increasingly worried that it might be getting hot enough to set fire to the dry cotton. He pretended he was stretching. "Don't worry about me. Tira, have you figured out yet what kind of forbidden magic we're up against?"

The younger Misu sister nodded. "I can't say I'm positive, but of the three kinds of magic-siphoning spells, the one that fits the evidence best is a passive-reactive spell, but I couldn't find a lot of information on it in Marron's books. The ones I could read, anyway."

"Well, tell us anyhow, just so we know," Carrot said. He pulled out his sword and began to polish the well-sharpened blade as Tira explained.

"Uhm... A passive-reactive spell like this means that, basically, uhm... Sometime over the past year, there was a trigger, like a spell or something. That set off the spell, which is now siphoning magic off of anyone on the entire continent who uses magic. There isn't actually anyone maintaining the spell right now."

"What?" Chocolate gasped. "Then why would she send us all the way out here? How are we supposed to kill a sorcerer that doesn't even exist?" She stomped her foot. "I'm going to be so glad to turn my back on this stupid job."

"Well, these spells have a time-limit on them," Tira offered. "Even though no one's maintaining the spell, there has to be someone monitoring it, so they can use it as soon as they have enough magic stored up."

"Wait a minute," Carrot stepped in. "Where do you 'store' magic, anyhow?"

Tira pushed her glasses up on her nose. "That's where it gets tricky. I wish we had Marron here to translate some of his books, because I can't read them!" She sighed. "Sorcerers and mages use things they call 'focuses' to help them cast spells. Those marks on a sorcerer's forhead–they're born with a focus already inside them. That's why they're usually more powerful than mages."

Gateau let his fingertips sizzle as they rested on Marron's necklace, welcoming the pain. He had never met a sorcerer that was more than easy prey to Marron's magical skills.

"So is the magic being stored in a focus or in a sorcerer?" Chocolate asked.

"It has to be a separate focus," her sister replied. "Holding that much magic inside them would kill any sorcerer. Only gods like Big Momma, or her Haz Knights, could hold that much magic in them."

"What about Zaha Torte?" Gateau asked, crossing his arms. "He wasn't a god anymore, but he was too powerful for them to defeat without us."

"No, he was mortal all right... at least I think so... Er, but gods can be killed also," Tira agreed. "But he had the skills and training to control all that magic. Remember how we defeated that Magic Engineer because he couldn't control all of his power?" The other three nodded. "If he'd had a focus, he could have transferred that power to it, and we'd all be dead right now."

"So," Carrot mused, "Let me get this straight. We have to find a sorcerer who's linked to a focus–which could be anything, of course–that might blow up any time now, because we don't know what kind of time limit it has on it?"

"A focus can't be just anything," Tira corrected him. "Most sorcerers use precious stones. They don't just look nice–they're sturdy and can handle the pressure of that much magic. Uhm..." She thought for a moment, ticking stones off on her fingers. "Opals are the most common kind of focus, because of their refraction powers. Emeralds and amethyst are soft, so they're used mostly as buffers. Heavy-duty focuses are usually made out of sapphires, diamonds and rubies, because they're the hardest stones–almost impossible to overload. But the best focus–" she held up a finger, attracting their attention, "–Is called a starstone."

"Is that like a star-ruby?" Chocolate asked, intrigued.

Tira shrugged. "I don't know. That's where the trail ended. I found a lot of references to starstones, but they only led me to a bunch of books and scrolls I couldn't read." She sighed. "I wish we had Marron," she murmured. "He kno-knew everything about this kind of stuff."

There was a tense silence. Then Carrot spoke up. "Do we have any kind of game plan at all, yet?"

"Find the stone, break the stone... then kill the sorcerer that shows up to find out what happened to all his magic," Tira offered. "That's all I can give you."

"Starstone," Chocolate mused. "I could swear I've heard about those before." She shrugged. "But I can't remember where."

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	16. Chapter XVI

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter XVI

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Gateau shifted uncomfortably in his bedroll. The invisible necklace was so hot that it was raising red welts where it lay against his skin. He wondered if it was possible that Marron's enchantment on it had gone faulty, but dismissed the thought immediately. He knew there was no more capable mage in the world than his friend–_He wasn't just a friend_, he thought–had been. Still, it was annoying and becoming more painful than he was willing to put up with.

He pulled his shirt collar up under the necklace again, unwilling to remove Marron's token. It did not take long for the chain to heat up the fresh cloth, leaving him only a little better off than he had been before. He rolled out of his bedroll and walked quietly to the edge of the camp to relieve himself.

As he stepped back towards his bedroll, a musical sound caught his ear, as if someone in the temple were humming. He cocked his head, trying to hear it better.

"You heard it, too?" Carrot whispered. Gateau had not realized that his comrade was awake. He nodded. A few moments later, the humming continued. It was short and light, as if whoever was making the sound was remembering a tune.

Gateau heard the rustle of blankets. The Misu sisters were awake as well. A sudden ray of reddish-amber light hit his eye and he blinked. The sun was rising.

"I think we have our sorcerer," Chocolate murmured, pulling her garrot wire taught in her hands.

As one silent entity, the four sorcerer hunters moved inside the shrine. The humming that led them through the halls stopped and started at irregular intervals, and the rising sun's rays pushed through the shrine windows, reflecting off of coppery walls and bathing them all in an amber glow.

In the lead, Carrot stopped at an archway. He motioned for the others to come up behind him. Easing his way to the front, Gateau peered into a room that was lit entirely by the rising sun.

Runes and geometric designs decorated the walls and floor of the circular chamber. A black magefire burned in the center of the room. It did not appear to require wood to feed on, and no smoke came from it.

Gateau was slightly unnerved as the team padded silently into the chamber. Whatever this spell was, it was big. The chain around his neck burned and hissed. He grunted involuntarily in pain.

"Gateau," Tira hissed, barely even whispering. He had to face her to read her lips. "Your neck is smoking!"

The tall blond decided enough was enough. As much as he hated this mission and his vows and everything it all stood for, he could not let himself get distracted. He ripped the chain from around his neck, breaking the clasp. His hands blistered where they touched the metal.

The humming stopped.

"...What is _that_?" Carrot asked, pointing at the smoldering pendant. Gateau shook his head, pocketing it.

_Thank you_, came a voice from within the chamber. The four hunters jumped, startled.

"It's the sorcerer," Chocolate whispered. Aloud she called, "Come out, sorcerer! We are the sorcerer hunters, and it's time you paid the piper!"

_I am sorry to have caused you this trouble_. Gateau realized that voice was not actually a voice at all, but more like a feeling in his head. Whatever it was, it did seem like it was sorry. _But I need you here_. Strangely, Gateau felt as if he were needed.

"This is weird," Carrot said. His sword was drawn. "It's not, like... telepathy, is it?" He stood with his back to Gateau's, looking around for the source of the voice.

"What do you want with us?" Tira asked.

_I need the starstone. You have it._

"What's he talking about?" Gateau asked. There only seemed to be one entrance, the arch through which they had come. There was no ceiling, and the sun was nearly over the wall.

Tira held her whip at the ready, her eyes darting back and forth. "You think we have your focus?"

_Please forgive me,_ begged the feeling. _I need it. I need it to make things right._

"You think you can make this right?" Gateau demanded of the disembodied feeling. "You are using forbidden magic, and I can't forgive that."

_Not all of the uses for forbidden magics are evil._

"All the ones I've seen are," the tall blond retorted.

He suddenly felt amusement ripple through the air around him. _Were they?_ Gateau was caught off-guard, and found himself considering the disembodied feeling's question. _I need the starstone,_ the feeling repeated, filling Gateau with a sudden sense of sorrowful longing. _Please, please give it to me._

Carrot and the Misu sisters watched and listened as Gateau spoke to the air around him. The feeling of a voice had left them, gone as quickly as it came.

"What are you going to do with it, huh?" asked the brawny blond. "There's no reason you could need that much magic. And why do you think I have your stupid starstone anyhow? I don't even know what it is!"

_Not all of the uses for forbidden magics are evil_. The thought pulsated through Gateau. Why was that so important? _Please give me my starstone_.

"Gateau," Tira yelled, trying to catch his attention, "What does he want?"

Gateau shrugged. "He–it–whatever... he thinks I have his focus."

"Do you?" Carrot asked.

Gateau blinked. "Uhm... I don't think so," he said after a moment's thought.

"Well... check your pockets," Carrot said, as Gateau was washed through with another feeling off loss.

"These runes are kind of funny, Chocolate," Tira said, examining them. "Don't they look familiar?"

"Kind of like Marron's spells," the elder Misu sister agreed.

"No..." whispered Gateau, his eyes widening as the sisters' comments dawned on him. His burning hand tightened around the forgotten pendant in his pocket.

_Please give it to me_, begged the feeling. _Not all of the uses for forbidden magics are evil_.

Gateau remembered that. He remember Big Momma's words, and when she had said them. His hand cracking in burning pain, he lifted up Marron's pendant for his team to see.

The black stone in the central link flamed as brightly as the magefire at the center of the chamber, resonating with it. In the center of the stone, the sapphire blue star shone brighter still, flashing as the hunters tried to look at it.

"Is that the starstone?" Tira asked, awed.

Chocolate stared at the flaming amulet. "Where did you get it, Gateau?"

Gateau's haunted eyes turned to the magefire dancing in the center of the chamber. Sunshine poured down on them from the rising sun, but the magefire burned brighter. It pulsated with the starstone that burned in his hand.

_I need you here. Please give me the starstone_.

Gateau's eyes watered. "Why would you do this?"

_Please_. Pain and loss consumed him. _I need it to make things right_.

With a roar, Gateau flung the pendant into the magefire. A wave like a sonic shock billowed through the chamber. As the runes on the walls burst into flame, the black magefire began to scream.

Nearly blinded by the light, the sorcerer hunters forced themselves to watch. The magefire grew as it screamed louder with the voice of the feeling that had spoken to them.

A human form took shape in the flames. An unfamiliar face appeared on it, howling in pain.

"What's going on?" Chocolate yelled above the screaming. Cyclonic winds whipped through the chamber, coming from the growing bloom of black flames. "What did you do?"

Where the howling face was, a second face and body appeared, horrifying the sorcerer hunters with its familiarity as it screamed in the magefire.

"Brother!" Carrot roared, jumping forward. Gateau barely caught him before he jumped into the flames. "That's my brother!"

Marron's face and body writhed within the confines of the magefire, as if battling the other howling face and body for the space. Where the two bodies overlapped, the starstone pendant spun, bouncing back and forth as the two bodies competed for control.

"That's Marron!" Tira yelled, "But who's the other guy?"

"It's Tenrin-Ou Yakushia," Chocolate realized, eyes wide. She called out to the others above the noise. "It's Tenrin-Ou Yakushia! The other man is Tenrin-Ou Yakushia!"

"The god inside Marron?" Carrot stopped struggling, and Gateau let him go. "What the hell is going on here!"

_I need you here_, the voice cried in Gateau's head weakly.

"He needs us," Gateau yelled. He jumped forward and grabbed Marron's hand. The wavering arm only seemed half-real in his grip. "He said he needs us here!"

Carrot immediately grabbed Marron's other hand, trying to pull him out of the magefire. "Come on, brother," he cried "I don't have a clue what's going on, but I'm not letting you go up in smoke!" He pulled harder on the arm he held, forcing the body with Marron's screaming face to lean out of the black flames.

Marron's hand seemed to solidify in Gateau's grasp. "Come on," he beckoned to the Misu sisters. "Help us!" They leaped forward, wrapping their arms around the body's torso and pulling. They were rewarded with a choking screech from Tenrin-Ou Yakushia as Marron's legs began to pull free from the magefire.

"Come on, little bro," Carrot urged, letting Tira take Marron's arm while he grabbed one of his legs. "Just don't fall apart on me."

"We need you," Tira insisted as Marron's screams petered off, leaving him clenching his teeth in pain and breathing hard. Tenrin-Ou Yakushia's howls grew louder with every inch of skin they pulled free.

Gateau pulled on Marron's other leg, feeling it come loose from the black flames. "You'd better come through on this," he whispered. "_I_ need you." He tugged.

The four sorcerer hunters flew backwards as the body finally came free of the magefire and the screaming and whipping winds came to a halt. Gateau caught the familiar body in his arms, cradling it close. There was silence.

Gateau's hands shook as he looked at the naked body breathing laboriously in his arms. The beautiful, familiar face leaning on his arm was streaked with sweat, the lines of pain already fading from pale, supple skin. For a brief moment, the eyes opened, revealing tired amber irises. Then they fluttered shut, and his breathing slowed.

Gateau tightened his grip around Marron's body. "H-he's asleep," he choked out.

"He's... alive," Chocolate exclaimed. Her face was filled with thrilled surprise. Tira clapped her hands excitedly and joined her sister, yelling, "He's alive!"

_He is_, came a voice from around them, and Gateau, Carrot, and the Misu sisters turned to where a ball of magefire still burned in the air. The proto-body of Tenrin-Ou Yakushia was gone, now, his howling face now only an indistinct image formed by the black flames.

_I give you back your brother, your friend, your lover_, the god said. _He has released my immortal soul, and I have gifted to him as much as I can–a mortal body._

"Aren't you part of his soul, though?" Tira asked, peering at the god's visage.

Tenrin-Ou Yakushia laughed. _His soul is his own. I cannot rejoin him. The body I gave him was not born of the gods. It is too weak to contain the soul of a god._

"Then, any of us could live without our gods in us?" Chocolate wondered.

_Would you truly wish that?_

"I might," Gateau rumbled.

_You might ask yourself again_, advised the god. _You might be surprised how you answer_.

"What about who he is?" Tira cried. "Is he still Marron? Big Momma said that memories die with the flesh!"

_Perhaps you should ask him._

The god's voice was lightly amused, as if he had just given the team of hunters the answer they most wished to hear. Tira clasped her hands together, tears welling up in her eyes.

The flaming runes on the shrine walls blackened and turned to ash, which fell from the walls and left them clear. The god-face of black magefire began to shrink.

_He needed you, he needs you, he loves you, your brother, your friend, your lover_, the god's voice continued, even as his apparation disappeared in a void. _You need him, you want him, you love him. Take care, my brother and sisters._

Silence descended on them. Then, out of nowhere, the starstone pendant appeared and dropped, clattering on the chamber floor.

Awestruck, surprised, afraid and thrilled, Gateau's eyes began to water as he looked down on the young body he held. Chocolate and Tira were already sobbing loudly with happiness, their arms around Carrot, who seemed undecided between crying and laughing. After a moment, the elder Glaice brother gave in and did both.

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	17. Chapter XVII

Sorcerer Hunters

"Starstone"

Chapter XVII

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"So, there was never a sorcerer at all?" asked Gateau. He sat next to Marron's bed. A full year out of his body had taken its toll on the younger Glaice brother, requiring extended bed rest. The Misu sisters and Carrot were outside on Chocolate's orders, giving Gateau and Marron their first time alone since Marron's reincarnation. "And you remember everything?"

"No, it was just me and Yakushia," Marron replied. "I really didn't think it would work the way it did, actually. I knew I'd translated something wrong, and with the modifications I had to make... I'm glad it worked at all. All of the last year was... like a dream."

Gateau pulled the starstone pendant out of his pocket where he kept it. "I guess you should have it back, now."

Marron shook his head, but accepted the pendant. "I will give it to Mother... She will have to destroy it for me."

"Destroy it?"

Nodding, Marron ran his fingers over the stone. "You want to know how a starstone works, Gateau?"

"Actually..." The tall blond was silent for a moment. "...I want to know why you used forbidden magic, Marron," he whispered.

Marron closed his eyes, ashamed. "...I feel like I betrayed you."

"You did."

"Do you hate me?"

Gateau's hand closed on Marron's, twining their fingers tightly together. "I hate what you did."

"I did it because I was scared, Gateau." When Gateau's ice-blue eyes focused on his, Marron nodded. "All those things I told you then, about worrying about everyone all the time–it's true."

Marron placed the starstone where Gateau could see the sapphire star within. "This is a black diamond starstone," he said. "Once I had the black diamond to fortify the spell, I melded it with a star-sapphire, making a starstone stronger than any other in history... and it has been seven centuries since the last starstone was destroyed. They were... forbidden... long before other types of magic, because of how dangerous their properties really are, and how dangerous they are to make." He pointed at one individual ray of the six-pointed star. "This is where my soul is bound."

Gateau's eyes widened as Marron went on, haltingly. "And... this is Chocolate's... Tira's..." Marron's voice dropped to a whisper, "...And yours. My brother is... he's immune to the binding."

Silence stretched between them for minutes before Marron continued. "The starstone isn't just a focus. It's an anchor–for anything. If you know how to use it..." He pointed to another ray of the star. "That one is the siphoning spell. It was triggered when I died. It malfunctioned... I didn't expect it to."

"...How?"

The corner of Marron's mouth twitched. "It would have worked perfectly if anyone _except_ me had died. The siphoning spell worked well enough, but the focus needs to be monitored. Without me to balance it, it started releasing power. It expected to overload. It's been leaking magic for months."

It took Gateau a few moments to think, adding up the pieces. "...That's why it was burning me?"

Marron smiled apologetically. "Even with the siphoning spell, there was barely enough magic stored in it by the time the sun rose on the year-mark to react with the soulbinding spell. Without you and the others there, we would have died again... and we would have repeated the cycle every year until the starstone exploded or we got the spell right."

Gateau's expression was not pleased. "You mighta warned me."

"That I was using forbidden magic?"

"I'm still not happy about that."

"I felt the pull of it a long time ago, Gateau." He nodded when his blond friend stared at him. "I started studying it when I was twelve, while I was researching the Sorcerer's Wars."

"...That long ago?"

"It's so tempting," Marron sighed. "You've never used magic, Gateau. It's like a drug. You want to use more and more, but it eats you up if you don't have enough power."

"I'm... disappointed in you."

"Don't be," Marron smiled, squeezing Gateau's hand. "This amulet holds all of my forbidden magics, the siphoning and the soulbinding and the starstone itself. I held them _in_ the starstone. I knew that I could use the forbidden magics–I knew I had the power. Knowing that... I did not need to exercise that power."

Gateau contemplated the starstone. "What's that one?" he asked, pointing to the last ray of the sapphire star.

Marron looked where he pointed. "That's the only reason any of you are alive right now. That is Hakaishin."

"_WHAT?_"

Marron tucked the pendant away, brashly ignoring Gateau's outburst. "It used to be a homing spell–it was designed so that whoever was holding the pendant would be drawn to the place where it would be easiest to separate the soul of... whoever died... from their god. In my case, it was Tenrin-Ou Yakushia's Shrine of Seasons. Before that it was a spell rebinding the star to the stone, refracting the focus powers and exponentially increasing the magical storage capacity."

"Why the heck would you soulbind Hakaishin?" Gateau demanded.

"I did it when we got our instructions from Mother." Marron lowered his eyes, looking into the past. "When she told us how to defeat Zaha Torte... I knew it was wrong, but I didn't know how. She told us that he would pull Hakaishin from my brother if he transformed, and that he would use him to destroy the world..."

Gateau nodded, remembering the terror they had all felt, confronted with the destruction of the entire world.

"I was so afraid for my brother's life after she tried to kill him..." Marron shook his head. "It all seems foolish now. I knew that trying to bind my brother's soul to the starstone would make him transform permanently... so I bound Hakaishin instead. When Zaha Torte tried to call on him after my brother transformed... All he got was my brother."

"You amaze me, Marron," Gateau said after a moment, shaking his head. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about, but I'm pretty sure it was very smart."

That drew a grin from the reserved young man. "It means a lot to me that you approve."

"So, why are you going to have Big Momma destroy it? Isn't it good to have Hakaishin locked up in that thing?"

"Yes," Marron said. "But... our souls–yours, mine, and the girls–are still bound to it. Even if we die of old age, we'll be bound to the starstone until it is destroyed."

"Why don't you just un-bind our souls?"

There was a moment of silence, and Gateau was shocked to see a tear fall from his stoic friend's eye. "H-hand me that pen and paper," Marron requested, pointing to the bedside table. Gateau complied.

Marron deftly drew a perfect fire rune on a piece of paper. He ripped the paper from the pad, and tossed it at the wall.

"What the heck...!" Gateau jumped to get out of the way, ducking his head to avoid the explosion that never came. He looked around at the wall in time to see the paper flutter to the ground.

Another tear fell from Marron's other eye. "I can't use magic anymore," he murmured, his voice catching in his throat. "Without Tenrin-Ou Yakushia... I'll never be able to. The only way to unbind our souls is to destroy the starstone."

Gateau sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around his young friend. "Marron..."

Tossing his hair back, Marron threw himself against Gateau. "I'll get over it, Gateau," he said, his voice muffled as he buried his face in Gateau's neck. He wrapped his weakened arms around his friend as tightly as he could. "I won't ever get over betraying you, though. This is the price I've paid."

"Marron... I never forgave myself for not protecting you. Can we call it even?" Gateau begged. "I can't keep up with who owes who if we don't." Marron laughed softly and kissed him. "There's... one other thing I haven't forgiven myself for," the tall blond began.

He appeared to need prompting to continue. Marron pressed his forhead against Gateau's, looking him questioningly in the eye. "What's that?"

Gateau pulled Marron into a deep kiss. After a minute, he pulled away, holding him close. "...Not telling you before..."

"...Before...?"

"...That I love you."

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Carrot slumped in the bushes, annoyed and thoroughly tied up. Tira stepped on him to make sure he was still there. She readjusted her binoculars. "I think he just told him," she said.

Carrot sighed. "Who told who?" he asked, both indulging and curious.

"Oh, yup," Chocolate confirmed, watching through her own binoculars. "Gateau told Marron... oh, my..."

"What?" The elder Glaice brother struggled in his bonds. "What's going on?"

"I hope they don't do that too long," Tira said, "Marron's supposed to be on bed rest."

"Wow, I didn't know Gateau was that flexible," said Chocolate. "I don't think... nope, nope. They won't have to leave the bed at all."

"Ooh, that was clever... wow, _talented_," Tira giggled. "Oh, oh look at... no, nevermind... No, wait, I was right! Wow, who'd've thought Marron knew about that?"

"...Pass the popcorn, sister dear. Are you sure you're old enough to be watching this?"

"Here you go. Oh my gosh, I didn't think that was actually possible... Go Gateau!"

"_Would somebody tell me what that big ape is doing to MY LITTLE BROTHER?_"

Chocolate looked down at Carrot. "Well, Darling..." She smirked at him. "I could _show_ you."

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_Fini_

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End file.
